Fate Cross Order
by Shidou Haruka
Summary: REWRITE
1. Chapter 1

**Order 1: Great Holy Grail War**

The Holy Grail War, a deadly tournament conducted between seven magi in order to obtain the omnipotent wish-granting device known as the Holy Grail. Started by the three founding families of Tohsaka, Einzbern, and Makiri, the Holy Grail War had been was conducted in Fuyuki where seven Servants and Master pairs would fight and then the last pair to survive would be able to claim the Grail.

Servants are a copy of Heroic Spirits put into seven containers of differing classes. These Heroic Spirits are spirits of humanity's most famous individuals immortalized inside the Throne of Heroes and called forth to participate in this War to have their wish granted by the Grail.

So far, there have been three Holy Grail Wars conducted and the third war ended sixty years ago. It was the night before Nazi Germany invaded Poland, beginning the Second World War. The city of Fuyuki in Japan was holding its third Holy Grail War ritual. Seven Servants and seven Masters, for the sake of their own desires, began a battle royale until only one would be left standing.

But in the course of the war, circumstances occurred which led to the shattering of the Lesser Grail. It was then that that Grail War came to a close, unsettled. The problem was what came after. The Greater Grail, an omnipotent wish-granting device, had been hidden in the caverns of Mount Enzou.

Through a quirk of fate, it was discovered by a magus supporting the Nazis, who then attempted to remove it using military aid. There was hard fighting as the three great families of Einzbern, Makiri, and Tohsaka, as well as the Imperial Army, attempted to thwart this plot, but coming immediately after the end of the Grail War, they were in a weak position and thus defeated. The Greater Grail, forged by the combined labor of all three great families, was plundered by the Nazis.

This battle was written in no texts, recorded on no images, existing not even in the minds of the people. However, it was the indisputable truth that a terrible war between guns and thaumaturgy had taken place. Now, with the Greater Grail in their hands, surely Nazi Germany would be able to rule the world as they saw fit.

Of course, such a future did not arrive. As it was being transported to Germany, the Greater Grail mysteriously disappeared. Perhaps it was stolen back by the Imperial Army, or raided by Soviet forces. In any case, the Greater Grail which could have become the symbol of the Third Reich and realized the dream of world unification, vanished without passing into the hands of any man.

With its caretakers having been dismissed and all individuals related to it being sent onto the fields of battle, even the Nazis did not know the whereabouts of the Greater Grail; to begin with, there was no one left who even knew of its existence. The magus who took part alongside the Nazis, known as 'Yggdmillennia', had disappeared as well.

The Greater Grail disappeared. Like a mist, the dream of the three great families dissolved, and Fuyuki was able to welcome the end of its war in tranquillity. And so the years went by.

* * *

It is rare for him to be summoned by the Director so early in the morning. Not that he has any complain since he is used to waking up early for his morning exercise but the Director never called anyone before they all finished breakfast which makes it rather odd, or maybe worrying, when he was summoned just as the sun rises.

The blue haired boy wonder what the Director wanted. He walked through the white halls of Chaldea until he reached a wooden door. He knocked on the door and only entered when an answer came from beyond the door.

Inside, seated behind his desk, is the Director of Chaldea and one of the most well-known figure in the world, and it is not a description used lightly. The Director is dressed in an expensive black suit with gloves on his hands. He has tanned skin and white hair tied in a braid.

There is nobody in the Moonlit World that didn't know his name because the Director of Chaldea is none other than Solomon, the King of Magic and the winner of the First Holy Grail War where he obtains a new life.

Standing beside him to his left is a young woman with long white hair and the Vice-Director of Chaldea as well as the descendant of Solomon's Master in the Grail War. Her name is Olga Marie Animusphere. Her family was formerly a Lord in Clock Tower but after her ancestor won the Grail War and used his wish for 'something else' the Animusphere family left Clock Tower and joined the organization Solomon formed shortly after, Finis Chaldea.

"Director, you called?"

The formally dressed blue haired boy bowed and asked. The Director nodded and projected a comfortable chair using magecraft for the boy to seat on.

The boy's name is Xenovius Alexander Quarta, sixteen years old, and an 'Enforcer' of Chaldea. As a magus, he is quite unusual since although his family history only goes back to five generations, his magic circuits said otherwise which made him scouted and taken in as apprentice by the head 'Enforcer' of Chaldea.

Being an 'Enforcer', Alex guessed that the Director has a mission for him involving leaked secrets and hunting some dangerous individuals. He has no idea how wrong his guess is.

"So Alex, I believe you are wondering why I called you here so early in the morning. We just received a news from Clock Tower not long ago. I'm sure that this might be sudden but do you know about the Fuyuki Holy Grail War?"

Alex looked at the Director, a bit confused. That's an easy question. Practically everyone in Chaldea would knew about that particular subject considering how their organization have quite a strong tie to it.

"Well obviously. Everyone in Chaldea knew. It is basic knowledge for us. But what about it?"

A Holy Grail War is any battle that revolves around an omnipotent Holy Grail which is said to be capable of granting any wish. However, when preceded by 'Fuyuki', any magus knows that it refers to an exceedingly unique conflict in which Heroic Spirits are summoned as Servants to fight each other to the death.

Perhaps due to Association supervision being rather light in this small nation of the East, this Holy Grail War had repeated three times without drawing much attention. It was a poor joke to even suggest that an omnipotent wish-granting device could manifest in some Far East farmland—that was all the recognition the Magus Association gave it… that is until its power was proven in the very first War with the resurrection of Solomon, the King of Magic, and he build up an organization that would equal the Clock Tower in power with him, a resurrected Servant, at its head.

After that, two more Grail War happened with the last one in Fuyuki being the Third Grail War that happened during the Second World War. Due to the intervention of various nations in the midst of that chaotic age, the Holy Grail War of Fuyuki ended in unusual circumstances. At the same time, information on the system behind this Grail War propagated throughout the magi of the world. It was proof of how superior the Holy Grail War ritual constructed by the three great families of Einzbern, Makiri, and Tohsaka was.

Today, variations of the Holy Grail War ritual had been attempted across every continent. Of course, the majority of them are small in scale, with most only capable of summoning five Servants; even were the ritual itself established, it could not proceed to the point where it could grant any wish, let alone pierce a hole to the 'Swirl of Origin' or Akasha, the final destination all Magi aimed to reach.

But why would Solomon mentioned that Holy Grail War? The Greater Grail of Fuyuki had been lost since the conclusion of the Third Grail War and all subsequent Grail Wars that existed are all inferior to the original in scale and utility.

"The Greater Grail was lost sixty years ago and no one had been able to find it. The only reason why you would bring it up is if it has been found but that's impossible, right?"

Alex lightly chuckled. But Solomon and Marie did not look amused. He stare at them for three full seconds until Solomon confirmed for him.

"Funny you should say that. Three months ago, the Association finally found out where it was hidden."

Knowing that the Director is being serious, Alex knew that he will not like where this conversation is going but he straightened his posture and finally got serious.

"So... where is it?"

Alex questioned. Director Solomon then turn to the Vice-Director who answered his Alex's question in his place.

"Romania, in the city of Trifas on the outskirts of Transylvania. We believe it has been installed in the oldest building of the city, the fortress of Millennia."

"And you want me to secure it?"

Both the Director and the Vice-Director nodded.

"Something like that, I suppose—but before that, there is more troubling news. The one who brought this information to us was the elder of the Yggdmillennia clan, Darnic."

" Darnic?"

Olga Marie tapped her tablet PC and showed it to Alex who found himself staring at the face of a middle-aged man with… seaweed hair in his opinion.

" Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia, the elder of the clan of Yggdmillennia, supposedly having lived for over a century. He attained the rank of 'Grand', the highest within the Association, and was a second-class instructor in elemental conversion, but his students had a rather low opinion of him. Rather than education, he exercised his true worth in politics. Factional infighting, power struggles, competitions for budget. He is not really a pleasant magus."

Which says a lot about this man since magus are not pleasant people in general. To have another magus calling this Darnic unpleasant says a lot about his character.

"So Darnic is the problem?"

Knowing him, he likely wanted to involve some sort of transaction regarding the Holy Grail. However, Marie shook her head.

"The problem is not with Darnic, but the entire Yggdmillennia clan."

"What do you mean?"

"The clan owns the fortress of Millennia... and they have elected to secede from the Clock Tower."

"…what?"

Alex asked incredulously.

"It is not known to us how much anguish it had meant for them, but one day, they came forward saying that they would secede from the Association—that they would form a new Association of Magi around their own clan."

Alex is speechless. Clearly stating your defection from the Association is essentially a declaration of war. They might as have thrown their gloves and spat on their faces. In other words, Yggdmillennia had essentially committed suicide by stupidity.

At least, it would be unless they had something exceptional on their hands. Then again... speaking from another perspective, if they did possess something significant, it could be more than enough of an incentive to begin a secession. And considering the topic of their discussion before, Alex have an idea what this incentive is.

"Yes, the Greater Grail of Fuyuki is to be the symbol of their new 'association'. The surviving magus brought this message to us."

"...The surviving magus?"

Marie took her tablet and tapped it again several times. When she gave it to Alex this time, it is now showing him a video recording of a 's eyes narrowed, taking note of the signs of torture seen on the man's body.

"This is the magus who delivered the message. As you can see, he was not in the best condition."

"What's he saying?"

"We of the Yggdmillennia have freed ourselves from the petty political bickering of the Magus Association and aim to establish a new association here in Romania, a true place of inquiry for the pursuits of thaumaturgy. For we possess the 726th Holy Grail, and when it is brought to life with the souls of seven Heroic Spirits, we shall be one step closer on the path to brilliant glory... just that, over and over again."

"You said he's the surviving magus. So there were deaths?"

The Vice-Director did not answer and her expression took a darker turn, so does the Director's.

"How many died?"

"Forty nine. Fifty magi were sent by the Association, only one returned alive."

Alex's eyes widened in disbelief. Fifty magi in the Moonlit World is already a veritable army for the sole purpose of extermination. Yet all of them were killed with only one survivor? Yggdmillennia is not powerful enough to survive, let alone win that battle against fifty magi. But then Alex remembered what they have been talking about.

"Don't tell me…"

Solomon nodded.

"They have managed to summon a Servant."

So that's it. They didn't stand a chance. It would have made no difference whether there had been fifty magi or a hundred. Whoever it was, it had become an existence known as a Heroic Spirit. To someone like that, all modern magi might as well be infants. Solomon had proven it himself.

When he first declared he would establish Chaldea along with Olga Marie's ancestor, of course they were met with opposition by the Association much like Yggdmillennia. And similarly, the Association sent magi, seventy of them, against the duo. Solomon send them all back alive but severely injured without them being able to touch him as well as declaring his name. Such is the power of a Servant that he managed to establish Chaldea with the Association forced to acknowledge him.

"So Director, if the Yggdmillennia have summoned a Servant, doesn't that mean we can just join in as Masters?"

If the Greater Grail has been activated, other magi should be qualified to become Masters as well. The Association can send magi there to summon Servants which can oppose the Yggdmillennia and since the Director is speaking to him about this, so will Chaldea.

"It's too late. They have already assembled seven Masters. The summoning might not have taken place just yet, but the Grail will never brand Command Spells onto any magi we send."

"...So are they planning on killing each other?"

"Perhaps. Or perhaps one of the clan will lead the rest and command the other Servants to commit suicide. Whichever it may be, I have no intention of leaving the Greater Grail in Darninc's hands."

There was a slight pause and Alex sighed.

"So you want me to go out there and stop them? Fine. I'll join you guys. But even with Master and you, fighting seven Servants would be too much, right?

Alex questioned. Although he's a bit reluctant, he knew where this conversation is headed. Luckily for them, Chaldea is not like any other organization. They have two Heroic Spirits in their rank, both are of the highest caliber with one of them being the King of Magic himself. Still, even if they have two Heroic Spirits of the highest caliber, fighting seven other Servants at the same time is extremely unlikely.

The Director grinned and suddenly Alex got a sinking feeling.

"Who said I will go? Or Saber for that matter. You're on your own for this mission."

"…eh?"

"There is a reserve system in the Grail. Depending on the situation, the Greater Grail could support the Holy Grail War by once again distributing Command Spells. It was an auxiliary prepared as a countermeasure for the highly unlikely situation of all seven Servants joining forces. So basically, the Grail allows the summoning another seven Servants to oppose the original seven Servants. The land of Trifas is positioned on the best leylines of Romania to begin with. Quite likely, it has been stockpiling prana at a higher speed than Fuyuki, to the point that it now possesses an inexhaustible amount of prana with which it can summon even fourteen Servants."

In other words…

"So your mission, Xenovius Alexander Quarta, is to join the alliance of seven other Masters to defeat the Yggdmillennia Masters."

* * *

Xenovius wondered why did he accept this suicidal mission. Then again, an order is an order. He is also one of the most promising Enforcer in Chaldea being the apprentice of the only other Heroic Spirit that served Chaldea apart from the Director himself.

At least he's not doing this alone. He heard that the Magus Association had already assembled a team of magi for this and part of said team is a certain mercenary named Kairi Sisigou who was recruited as the last member alongside himself. Now it's time for him to summon his Servant. Solomon had provided him with a catalyst which is actually a keepsake from the Second Fuyuki Grail War where his master fought.

According to his master, this catalyst correspond to a particularly strong Servant from the Second Grail War that he fought. Considering that his master is an extremely strong Saber-class Servant back in the Second Grail War, this Servant must also be something. This particular Servant was summoned as a Lancer back then, according to Solomon.

"Let's get this started."

Alex breathe out as he extend his hand over the magic circle drawn on the floor. Behind him are Solomon and Olga Marie who are supervising his summoning. Once the clock struck twelve, Alex began chanting.

 _"_ _Let silver and steel be the essence_

 _Let Stone and the Archduke of contracts be the foundation_

 _Let red be the color I pay tribute to_

 _Let rise a wall against the wind that shall fall_

 _Let the four cardinal gates close_

 _Let the three-forked road from the crown reaching unto the Kingdom rotate"_

He chanted with his magic circuits fully activated and the summoning circle began to glow brightly, letting out an incredible amount of power.

 _"_ _Let it be filled. Again. Again. Again. Again._

 _Let it be filled fivefold for every turn, simply breaking asunder with every filling._

 _Let it be declared now; your flesh shall serve under me, and my fate shall be with your sword_

 _Submit to the beckoning of the Holy Grail_

 _Answer, if you would submit to this will and this truth._

 _An oath shall be sworn here_

 _I shall attain all virtues of all Heaven_

 _I shall have dominion over all evils of all Hell_

 _From the Seventh Heaven attended to by three great words of power_

 _Come forth from the ring of restraint, protector of the holy balance!"_

As he finish his chant, the whole room was engulfed in blinding light. Solomon and Olga Marie watch in satisfaction as the light died down and a woman appear in the middle of the magic circle. She has long and silky silver hair and she wore what appear to be a black sailor uniform with pieces of blue armors covering some part of her body. She also wields a large blue spear in her hand.

"I am Servant Rider, Brunhilde. I ask of you, are you my Master?"

* * *

 **I have been saving this idea for some time after watching Apocrypha but I only pulled this out now since Apocrypha ended and one of my Fate x DxD crossover did not work. So I pull this out of my ass to fix that. This story will start in Nasuverse, in Fate Apocrypha to be precise, and then move on to DxD where the story truly began and where we will find the reason why Solomon is around and taking a direct approach instead of being Romani. Let's say Clairvoyance showed him something.**

 **Originally, the OC I planned to use is my 'Noire' series OC here but since he didn't work out… much, I decided to use a genderbent Xenovia for this. So Xenovius A Quarta is basically a genderbent Nasuverse version of Xenovia and of course, Xenovius will meet Xenovia in the future after the conclusion of this Grail War. Now, if you have guessed, Xenovius indeed possess Xenovia's signature weapon but like Xenovia, he had not mastered it. I also intend to pull a Shirou/Archer kind of relation for Xenovius and Xenovia.**

 **Originally, I wanted to have Atalanta as the protagonist's Servant and he will replace Atalanta's original Master but I decided to use Brunhilde instead and replace Achilles. I put Brunhilde as Rider here because I don't want to make her a Lancer and replace Karna. The only other class I can think of for Brunhilde is Rider with a slightly modified NP so I decided to pull this off. Due to this, I decided to change possibly 2 other Servants for the Red faction. Maybe replace Atalanta with Heracles as Archer or have Heracles as Berserker and Atalanta as Archer.**

 **Now, I don't want to answer possible questions in this chapter but PM me if anyone want to ask something or wait for the next chapter. I'm sure everyone want to ask at least about this version of Chaldea that I pull out of my ass.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Order 2: Gathering of the Red Masters**

Alex packed everything that he would need in the duration of his stay in Romania. Generally, a Holy Grail War last only a few days, three days at most. But that is the pseudo Grail Wars that occurred around the globe. According to Solomon and his master, Fuyuki Grail War can last until a week. Then again, it can last shorter depending on how the battle is fought. Just to be safe, Alex decided to pack for a week's trip.

Behind him, standing by the door now dressed only in her sailor uniform without her armor and spear is Rider, her true name is Brunhilde. She is mostly quiet and she simply watches over him in silent even through the night like an owl.

She is unlike his master and the Director who is quite animated and chatty from time to time and can be very expressive. From the moment she was summoned until now, she had not spoken unless when she was addressed. She's rather docile but also in a way, unnerving as Alex had never seen anyone able to stand still like a log for so long. It's like she's a statue. Well, if she is, Alex had to admit that she is a fine work of art.

Then came a knock from the door. Rider peeked outside to see who it is and opened it when she recognized Alexander's master that she met yesterday after her summoning. Alex's master walks in. He is a handsome young man with blonde hair and blue eyes wearing a neat black suit not unlike Solomon. Despite his appearance, his age is quite old and the only person older than him in Chaldea is Solomon himself.

Arthur Pendragon, winner of the Second Fuyuki Grail War entered the room while eyeing Rider warily. He was the one who proposed summoning Brunhilde as Alexander's Servant as he fought her as a Lancer during his Grail War. He would've suggested his war's Rider but Brunhilde is easier to control than that Egyptian Pharaoh.

Although, her sanity might be a problem.

"Master, you're here?"

"The Director summoned you together with Rider. He has your tickets and he wanted to talk with you. I'll have someone take your things to the airport."

Alex nodded.

"Come Rider, let's go meet the Director."

Rider bowed and followed Alex out from his room. Arthur sighs. Being around Rider makes him a bit more wary considering his history with her back in the Second Grail War. But unless anything drastic happens, like Sigurd being summoned for example, Brunhilde should be relatively easy to work with.

He just hope that nothing happen.

When Alex and Rider arrived in Solomon's office, the Director is not sitting behind his desk but instead is standing in front of it. Seeing that Alex had arrived, Solomon addressed him

"Xenovius, I see you have come. Good. I have your tickets for your flight."

Solomon showed him two tickets. He looked at the tickets oddly. Why? It is because there are two tickets. Alex wonder if Solomon will be sending someone else with him. He gave one to him and then the other… he gave to Brunhilde along with a forged passport.

"Uhh, Director?"

"…why are you giving me this?"

Rider asked, having the same train of thought as her Master. She is a Servant and as a Servant she has the ability to astralize being essentially spirits. As a spirit, she does not need a plane ticket to travel since she can just stay in spirit form while following her Master.

"Just humor me. I always want to do that, forge a passport I mean. Besides, travelling together should be fun. It won't be as fun if Rider were to stay astralized."

"Hah."

Alex and Rider decided not to question him further and put away their tickets and passport.

"Now with that out of the way, I only have one more thing to say to you."

The Director's expression turned serious in a split second.

"The Holy Grail War you will be participating in will be unlike any other. It will be a battle between seven Servants against seven Servants, a Grail War in a scale never before seen. Do not let your guard down for even a moment or you will die."

Alex nodded. He understood that quite well. A battle with fourteen Servants, it is the biggest Holy Grail War ever seen and it will be very dangerous with so many Servants running around. A single mistake, just a single moment of carelessness will be enough for him to lose his life.

"I will not."

"Good. With that out of the way, we can start talking about business. Here's what you will do once you're there…"

* * *

Having received his order from the Director, Alex and Rider went to the airport. It will be a long flight to Romania. Once the two of them boarded the plane, Alex reviewed all the information the Director gave him along with his order.

First off, on the Yggdmillennia side, they all have exceptional Magi but what truly matters is Darnic Prestone Yggmillennia himself. He participated in the Third Fuyuki Grail War and was the one who stole the Greater Grail. His Servant is also known assuming as the leader he would be the first to summon his Servant. The simple description of 'Stakes in Romania' already gave a clear clue on who it is.

Other than Darnic himself, there are three more names who stand out among the Yggdmillennia that could possibly be the other Masters. One is Gordes Musik Yggdmillennia and his craft is Alchemy, a portly man who by his looks won't be effective in direct combat. His craft just reinforced that opinion as not many alchemists are frontline fighters.

Next is Celenike Icecolle Yggdmillennia. Her craft is the dark arts. Despite her clean-cut appearance, there is just something about her that seems wrong. But by threat level, she is not really up there compared to Darnic and the third possible Master of the Yggdmillennia.

The last possible Yggdmillennia Master is Fiore Forvedge Ygddmillennia. Now this is interesting. According to the information gathered by Olga Marie, Fiore, despite being wheelchair-bound, is the most talented magus in the Yggdmillennia and is to be the next clan head. She is the second most dangerous magus in the clan after Darnic himself due to her special Mystic Code called Bronze-Link Manipulator which the Director described as 'A damn functioning Doc Oc metal tentacles'. Her field is Spiritual Evocation and Human Engineering.

She and Darnic will be the hardest to take down.

As for their side, the Magus Association had sent four Masters. Rottweil Berzinsky, Deimlet Pentel, Jean Rum, and Feend vor Sembren. All of them are first-class magus of the Association and he had heard of them in passing at least and somewhat knew of their capability.

Aside from himself though, there are two other Masters who are not part of the Association. One is a mercenary hired by the Association named Sisigou Kairi. According to Emiya Kiritsugu who was employed quite often by Chaldea, he is a skilled fighter and spellcaster worthy of respect who specialize in Necromancy.

The other one is a priest from the Church affiliated with the Assembly of Eight Sacrament. His name is Shirou Kotomine.

That is all the information he got. It is not much but it is enough. He will be meeting up with his fellow Masters before they marched to Yggdmillennia territory. Upon landing, he was to meet up with the others in Sighisoara and from there plan their attack.

After reviewing all that and eating the plane meal, Alex decided to sleep. The last thing he saw before closing his eyes is Rider staring at the cloud outside with an expression he cannot decipher.

* * *

The city of Sighișoara was formed by a settlement of Saxons in the 12th century. Even within Europe, it is rare to find a city where the vestiges of the Middle Ages so strongly remain. Sighișoara is also the closest city to Trifas outside the detection borderline of the Yggmillennia and their Servants.

While Trifas is too dangerous to enter, being the enemy's home ground, Bucharest is also simply too far. Which is why Sighisoara was made into their base of operation. The status of the enemy Servants remain unknown, but it seems for their own side which had been dubbed the Red faction, all their Servants had been summoned and Rider had confirmed this when he asked. So by this point, the Yggdmillennia, which had been dubbed the Black faction, should already have summoned their own Servants.

The moment Alex and Rider entered Sighisoara, a familiar was sent to them by Shirou Kotomine bringing a message that tells them to go to the church in the city where they can meet. Following the instruction in the message, Alex and Rider who is currently astralized head to the church. When they reached the staircase that would lead them to the church, Alex met with one of his fellow Master.

He is a man in his thirties with a scarred face and dressed like some kind of American outlaw. Alex blinked. He had heard from Emiya that Kairi Sisigou has an odd taste in dressing but… he certainly did not expect this.

"Umm, Kairi Sisigou, right?"

"…uhh, yeah? Since you're here I guess you're the Master from Chaldea? Hmm, I didn't expect them to send a kid."

If the statement of him being a kid offends him then Alex did not show it. Alex instead put on the usual stoic expression he prefers and told him.

"The Director was the one who choose me. Do not let my age fool you. I am capable."

He flatly told him. Kairi simply nodded.

"Okay then. If you are chosen personally by the King of Magic then there must be a good reason. We'll be working together for now so I just want to know if you can look after my back."

"Of course. And I expect you to look after mine."

Kairi smirked. Although the boy is only a teenager, he seems confident and so far his personality seems agreeable. Apart from Shirou Kotomine and Alex, Kairi had worked with the rest of the Red faction Masters before so he knew he could work with them. Now with him introduced to Alex and finding him agreeable, that left only the priest from the Church.

Alex and Kairi walked up the dome-roofed staircase towards the designated location. Said to contain one hundred and seventy-two steps, this staircase as well as the Church on the Hill are both famous sights. The trip up the stair was done in silence but Alex suspected that Kairi is talking with his Servant if the minor changes in his facial expression were to mean anything. His Servant though as usual remains quiet.

Just before they reached the top of the stairs, they saw the vaguely rocket-shaped church. Confirming that there was no one nearby, Kairi reached out towards the door; it was nine o'clock, just as arranged. When the duo stepped past the heavy doors and into the church... a man was standing before the altar at the far end of the nave. Judging by the way he showed no surprise at the appearance of the visitor, he must be the one who invited them.

"...Welcome."

The priest warmly smiled. He is a young man with tanned skin, quite an unusual skin color considering he is Japanese, and spiky white hair, again unusual for a Japanese which makes Alex wonder if this is Shirou Kotomine even if his features does look somewhat Japanese. Maybe a half? He is also quite young, maybe only a year or two years older than Alex.

"I've got an arrangement here. I'm guessing you're the one who called me?"

Kairi questioned.

"Yes, of course."

Nodding, Shishigou walked down the aisle with Alex following him from behind. Chaldea's Master look around the place and wondered where the other Masters are. Through the link between them, he asked his Servant.

'Rider, do you sense the presence of any other Servant?'

'I sense none other than mister Sisigou's.'

'I see.'

That means they are meeting only Shirou today. But the other Masters should be present or at least nearby if they want to do an introduction and strategize. Maybe they are late?

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Shirou Kotomine—the acting overseer for this Great Holy Grail War."

"Sisigou Kairi. I'm guessing you've done your homework, so I'll spare the introductions."

Kairi introduced himself. As per proper decorum, Alex also introduced himself to Kotomine.

"Xenovius Alexander Quarta. I'm the Master from Chaldea."

Once the introduction was done, Shirou Kotomine smile. For Alex, he did not notice anything wrong but for Kairi, he saw something. There was something quite crooked about the look on his face. It was a very judicious smile, not something that a boy not even over twenty should make.

"Could you please materialize your Servant?"

Alex nodded and without even needing to command her, Rider materialized behind her Master. Alex then turn to Kairi who did not immediately call his Servant. Since this will be a team battle, they need to know each other's Servant so they can strategize. When Kairi opened his mouth, what came out was not a command but a rejection.

"No, I don't—"

Before he could finish though, Kairi shut his mouth and in a second his Servant materialized. His Servant is a fully armored knight clad in silver armor over a red tunic from what can be seen. His Servant's face is also covered in his helmet that has horns, making the knight look quite dangerous and demonic. Saber made his appearance and began cautiously watching over their surroundings, as though defending Sisigou.

"Oh my..."

Shirou gently rubbed his eyes with his fingers, a frown on his face.

"What is it?"

"Oh, it's nothing. Now then, allow me to show you my Servant... reveal yourself, Assassin."

"As you wish, my liege."

Both Alex and Sisigou were startled by the sudden ring of her voice. Sisigou jumped to his feet. Assassin had taken form on the bench right beside where he was sitting before.

"Tch. Assassin, huh..."

When an Assassin gains entrance into this world, it obtains the class skill of 'Presence Concealment'. While under this skill, and in spiritual form, an Assassin can never be detected by others unless she moves to attack. No wonder Rider could not detect her.

Alex took in Assassin's form and something bad seems to form around his stomach just by seeing her. The first thing anyone would notice about Assassin is of course her beauty which is comparable to Rider's in Alex's opinion. But unlike with Rider whose beauty sparks a feeling of mystery, Assassin's beauty seems dangerous. A pleasing aroma emanated from who he could only describe as a depraved beauty, who was wrapped around by a dress as dark as midnight.

"I am the Assassin of Red. We look forward to your assistance... Sisigou and Quarta, was it?"

* * *

 **And so it's done. This is the second chapter which is again, not much other than their arrival in Romania and meeting Shirou. For now, nothing much happen other than the introduction of the Red Faction's key Masters and Servants.**

 **Anyway, I try to keep Xenovius at least vaguely similar to Xenovia in certain ways. How did I do? If anyone were to compare this scene with Apocrypha LN, you could see that unlike Sisigou, Alex is not as attentive on details or good at reading people since he trusts Shirou easily, which is something I can say about Xenovia.**

 **As for Brunhilde (I know her name is spelled Brynhildr but I am more used to spelling her name as Brunhilde from Nibelungenlied) I am now going for the quiet and obedient Servant. It was said that she was made to be Odin's automata and well, I kinda feel that she would be silent most of the time.**

 **Kinunatzs The Eternal: For me they are basically the same by their legend. Anyway, the difference between the Rider version and the Lancer version can be seen when she met Saber of Black.**

 **Miguelgiuliano co: Uhh, what?**

 **King0fP0wers: Good thing a friend of mine pointed that out so Archer remains the same. As for her NP, I have an original I plan to use and Brynhild Komedia as her second NP.**

 **Guest: It's a different Chaldea but the story will be somewhat Grand Order-like. For Berserker, Beowulf has been decided as replacement. As for a replacement for Shakespeare, I don't know, I want to keep Shakespeare if only to lessen the deviation from canon since I'm not going for canon deviation until the next story arc.**

 **Amatsumi:…I think Vasavi Shakti is always inactive unless when used as an NP.**

 **Holix25: Well, you'll get the crazy and non-crazy version. I'm going for some Shirou/Archer relation with some characters later. I mean like meeting doubles. Xenovius meeting Xenovia is something like that and yeah, he will get Durandal. Not now but still in the Apocrypha arc.**

 **FanNasuVerse93: He will have better things to do.**

 **Guest: Since when did anyone pair Siegfried with Mordred? As for how they will survive Vasavi Shakti… well, we have Mordred and I have some ideas. And I did say that DxD will join the story after the Apocrypha arc.**

 **Xion: I love Xenovia too much, I know. This time I'm going for selfcest.**

 **The Rupture: I think the balance of power between the two factions cease to matter the moment Darnic died and Shirou shows his true color. And the Berserker of Red will be Beowulf. I don't know about changing Berserker of Black though since there is Fran's impact on Sieg's power.**

 **Guest: Well since I have plans for Brunhilde in the long run, there's no worry about copying, especially since she will be one of the characters experiencing a Shirou/Archer moment. It will be clear once the story finally took off.**

 **Guest: We do have Excalibur here, and the more powerful Proto version, but Arthur is not around Trifas so maybe not.**

 **Tsuki: It will be an interesting meeting.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Order 3: The Beginning of the Great Grail War**

With the introduction done, the group of three Masters and Servants proceed to talk about the important matter, the Grail War itself. The priest was the one who started.

"Now, let us review the situation at once. The Yggdmillennia clan already possesses six Servants: Saber, Archer, Lancer, Rider, Berserker and Caster. It seems only Assassin has yet to join them."

Before the conversation could continue any further Alex cut in, feeling that he should ask what has been on his mind since he arrived here, namely the absence of his fellow Masters of the Red faction apart from Kairi and Shirou himself.

"Wait a minute. Not all of us are present here. Where are the other Masters and their Servants? If we are to hold a strategy meeting, I believe everyone, or at least the Masters should all be present. Where are they?"

Alex Inquired. Kairi seem to agree with his question and both turn to Shirou.

"The other Masters have done their own strategy meeting. They are with their Servants preparing for our eventual assault. Archer and her Master is scouting to get more information and keeping an eye out for Assassin of Black. Caster is in his workshop preparing. Lancer is keeping an eye on Berserker. You know how the Berserkers can be difficult to control."

Shirou explained. Alex nodded, accepting his explanation. It makes sense for them to send Archer as a scout and Caster setting up his or her workshop. While Alex accept his explanation though, Kairi narrowed his eyes. Saber also moved closer to Rider. Then Alex asked.

"Since all their Servants except Assassin have been assembled, any names that we know of?"

"At the moment, not one, unfortunately. Well, we have yet to engage them in combat, so I suppose it is only natural. However, we do have confirmation of the parameters of the six Servants."

Shirou reached into a pocket and pulled out a few documents. Thanking him, Alex and Sisigou took the papers and skimmed over their contents. They only contained the specifications of the Servants, with no mention of such critical information as innate skills or Noble Phantasms, but one can determine quite a few things from interpreting the data alone. Naturally, the greatest obstacles appear to be the three knight classes of Saber, Archer and Lancer, each possesses superb parameters which tower above the rest.

Also as expected, they used the Berserker class to strengthen a weaker Servant; but with such low specs, it is unlikely to become a significant threat. As for Rider and Caster, theirs is not an issue of numbers, but of Noble Phantasms and thaumaturgy, so for the time being, judgement will be withheld until more information can be found out.

"Any ideas as to who they may be?"

"…well from the reports, there is one whose identity is obvious. 'Stakes in Romania' can only mean one thing, the Kazikli Bey."

Shirou smiled wryly as he nodded.

"Vlad III, the Lord of Impalement. Summoning him to fight in Romania would be natural with the boosts he will receive."

There is no reason why famous heroes of Romanian origin would not be summoned, with the war now taking place here instead of Fuyuki. At least they have the identity of one of the enemy Servants down. Heroic Spirit Vlad Țepeș had been a great hero who fought against the invasion of the Ottoman Turks tooth and nail using guerilla tactics. While famous for being the model for Count Dracula, within Romania his heroic aspects are emphasized. The boost he gains from his fame must be at the highest possible for a Servant.

"He has to be this Lancer. There aren't any episodes with Vlad III using swords or bows. Assassin is also out of the question since he is not one you can call subtle, and the possibility of him being Caster is practically zero, meaning it has to be either Rider, Berserker, or Lancer. But all of Rider's specs are on the low side for someone with a fame boost and the same goes for Berserker. That leaves only this overpowered Lancer."

Sisigou concluded. Shirou nodded in apparent agreement.

"Then Lancer is Vlad III... this news is not without its value. Far better than knowing nothing about all seven."

"What about the ones on our side?"

Sisigou questioned.

"Not bad at all. Your Saber appears to be quite excellent, and I can confirm that Lancer and now possibly Rider have the strength to oppose Vlad III. I am still unsure but Berserker could also possibly match Lancer of Black."

"...Huh."

It would seem the Association has managed to unearth some powerful Heroic Spirits as well. Lancer must have very great fame themselves, or power which exceeded even said fame, for Shirou to speak with such certainty.

"In any case, with your summoning of Saber, we have now assembled our seven. Now then... would you kindly tell me the name of your Servant?"

Assassin let slip a chuckle. At the same time, Saber bristled but remained quiet. Shirou and Alex turn to Sisigou expectantly.

"Ahh... well, do I have to?"

"I can go first if you want."

Alex offered.

"Well, I'd certainly like to know why you cannot reveal it to me. After all, we are comrades in this war. Given that we are putting our lives in each other's hands, would it not be prudent to know the true names of each other's Servants?"

"I guess our lives really are in each other's hands... but..."

Alex actually did not find Sisigou's reluctance strange. Team battle or not, it is still a Holy Grail War. Arthur had told him how important it is to keep his Servant's identity a secret in a Holy Grail War because that could make all the difference between victory and grasping of a Servant's true name inevitably leads to everything from their Noble Phantasm to their strengths, and conversely, their weaknesses.

"And if the Servants are to stand together on the line of battle, they must know what kind of Noble Phantasm the others will use. In either case, once the Servant's Noble Phantasm is used, its true name might as well be revealed. There is little difference."

In truth, Shirou's proposition was very reasonable. Alex too can see the merit in this even if such an act is inadvisable in a Holy Grail War. But since the situation is not exactly normal, they should let each other know their Servant's name to better strategize.

Sisigou did not answer but instead tucked away the documents and walked down the nave, his back still facing the three.

"Oh? Where to?"

"Yeah, we're just going to go and do our own thing. Lucky me, 'cause I got a Saber, so I doubt working alone is going to be much of a problem."

Sisigou said. Saber is said to be the greatest among the seven Servants. With their high parameters and attack power, it is unlikely for them to be defeated in a fight against any Servant.

"I see. So you will not join us in battle, then?"

"You guys already have six Servants, right? And if Lancer and Rider are as amazing as you say, there shouldn't be an issue."

"That is certainly the case, but... you have me at a loss."

Shirou scratched at his head, looking somewhat troubled. Assassin, her eyebrows slightly arched, exuded an air of displeasure.

"...So you claim that you have no need of our hand in waging war, but know that you forfeit all the counsel we could provide on Trifas."

"That would be a shame, because I'd love to get as much counsel as I can. How about I buy it off of you?"

Assasssin's brows rose ever further at his disagreeable words. Quietly, Shirou checked her.

"We will provide information on a regular basis. But this is most unfortunate. I truly did wish to stand alongside you."

Shirou murmured with regret as he and Alex watch him leave. The blue haired boy sighs.

"I'll try to talk to him."

"Ahh, there's no need to if he—"

Shirou didn't get to finish his sentence as Alex had gone out the door and slammed it shut with Rider following him dutifully. Now with only Shirou left together with Assassin, the priest sighs.

"Well that didn't go as well as I hoped."

Alex ran down the staircase and saw Kairi running far away like he's worried he's being chased. He regarded that action suspiciously. He will need to catch up to him and maybe apprehend him. Alex ran after the Master of Saber.

"Rider, cut him off if you can. Try not to engage Saber unless he shows hostility."

'Yes, Master.'

Alex heard Rider accepting his order. Luckily for him, Kairi had not gone far and with Rider cutting them off and Alex being faster than him, the Chaldea Master caught up with the freelance Master, both their Servants materialized and facing each other while the Masters do the same.

"Sisigou, you're really not going to work with us?"

Alex get straight to the point. Sisigou sighed and look at him in the eyes.

"Tch, did the priest send you to get us?"

Alex shook his head.

"No. I came to get you back out of my own free will. Why do you refuse to work with us? I know that your Servant is a Saber but that doesn't mean you can win the war on your own. Or do you not like working in a team? We could maybe arrange something. I knew freelancers like you tend to work alone."

Kairi regarded him for a while until his posture relaxed somewhat. He let out a long sigh and then spoke to him.

"Kid, you really didn't notice anything wrong there?"

"What do you mean?"

Sisigou look exasperated.

"I will explain it along the way. For now, let's just head to Trifas."

* * *

The four of them went to Trifas on a car prepared by Kairi. Along the way, he explained why he didn't name his Saber and left the church. And since he deemed that Alex is trustworthy… or rather, a bit naïve, he told him his Saber's name in exchange, Alex also told him Rider's true name.

"So according to Saber, Assassin reminds him of his mother. And since said mother is Morgan Le Fay, I guess I can see why you don't trust her. But what about Kotomine?"

"The priest gave me a bad feeling. Trust me on this one kid, they're bad news."

Alex hummed and nodded. Hearing Kairi's reasons is enough for him to give the freelancer the benefit of doubt. Though it did surprise him that Saber of Red is Mordred. His master, Arthur, had spoken of the Knight of Treachery a few times. It is an interesting talk to say the least. At least he knew that Saber is a reliable ally from what Arthur told him.

Alex decided that he would follow Kairi. Although he does not fully trust him, he trusts Mordred's instinct and he would trust the knight because he trusts what Arthur said about his supposed son. But this made things more complicated. Should he contact Chaldea and the Association about this? No, they have no proof that Kotomine is plotting something, only suspicion. Though the people in Chaldea would be easier to talk with.

"Once I'm sure something is up with Kotomine, I will contact Chaldea."

"I agree. Besides, Chaldea's Director is a resurrected heroic spirit. If things gets bad, we could count on his help, right?"

Alex nodded.

Kairi, Alex and their Servants reached Trifas after one night's journey. Sisigou, holding back Saber—enthusiastically pushing to start a fight as quickly as possible—and downing an herbal mixture to stave off his drowsiness, set about the business of creating a workshop.

He had considered renting a hotel room, but that place would most certainly warrant the greatest attention to the enemy. However he may alter a hotel room into a usable workshop, it does not change the fact that such a building is weak. And there are those in the world who think nothing of blowing apart an entire building to get at a single room. Alex would agree with him considering he did know Emiya Kiritsugu.

"...And this is your solution?"

Saber voiced his, or rather her complaints with some weariness. Apparently Saber is in fact a girl. Before they left, Sisigou bought her some modern-style clothing at a boutique in Sighișoara. Saber apparently requested it and Alex was surprised when she changed into it. With a tube top that exposed her abdomen and a crimson leather jacket, it seemed quite chilly even for autumn.

Of course, she is a Servant, so the weather probably poses no problem to her. What Saber is disheartened by is the place that Sisigou chose for his workshop. Saber has dealt with magi in her life—her mother was a magus, after all—so she knew well that they were eccentric, obstinate and egotistic. But...

"...You want to make your den in the catacombs? Surely, you can't be serious..."

Saber is well within her rights to lament—the candles around them illuminated looming piles of bones. Two sleeping bags have been placed over a slightly more open area, seemingly an altar, confirming that Sisigou is planning on sleeping here.

"Don't be so demanding. There aren't many leylines of this quality, you know? This place will definitely help with recovering your prana."

"Damn the leylines. That's not the problem."

"You know, if you don't like it here you can always go with the kid and Rider to scout the enemy defenses."

Sisigou suggested. Her reply is a simple grumble.

"Yeah, I should've done that."

Trifas becomes a silent place in the dead of night. There are no lights shining from the houses and no stores that operate through the night. Only streetlamps illuminated the darkness.

Alex and Rider are searching for a place from which they will launch their assault on the Fortress of Millennia. In a regular Holy Grail War, it would be the norm to search for the workshops of enemy magi. But that is unneccesary in this case. After all, it is already certain that they will operate from that stronghold. There is no need to search for them, because there is no reason for an enemy Master nor Servant to NOT use their defendable stronghold. In other words, nothing can be done without first attacking that fortress.

The fortress is located north-east of Trifas and the three hectares surrounding it are forests. Trifas is situated on a plateau rising from west to east, so one can watch over the entire city from the highest point of the fortress. Alex is jumping on rooftops, heading straight at the Yggdmillennia stronghold. But he is currently not looking through his eyes.

Up above in the sky is Rider using her mount, a pristine white horse that could gallop in the air, was scouting the stronghold with a bird's eye view. Sharing her sight with her Master, Alex got a clear view of the enemy stronghold.

"I can't see any clear opening. Maybe we should get closer."

"Understood. But should we risk it?"

"True, there's the risk of being detected. Alright, try to get as close as you can and if there are signs that you are detected then retreat immediately."

"Very well."

Alex heard his Servant accepting his order. As he landed on a roof, a mass of what appeared to be birds flew out from the castle. Taking a closer look at the tiles beneath his feet, Alex saw that there was a disguised detection field spread around the roof.

"…damn."

He muttered. Then he caught sight of some movement in the darkness of the night. Alex reinforced his eyes and managed to get a clearer look on the form of the oncoming attackers. Four stone golems, seemingly modeled after dragonflies, descended upon him from all directions. Reinforcing his body to the best of his ability, he drew a sword and with a spin as fast as a whirlwind. He managed to cut through one of the golems and halfway through another one with difficulty and retreat before being pulverized.

"Rider!"

Knowing this will be difficult without his Servant or time to prepare his magecraft, he called Rider to return to him. Hearing the call of her Master, Rider descent from the sky while clad in blue flame and with a swing of her spear, destroyed the remaining three golems, landing perfectly in front of her Master. She joined him by his side and both ready themselves for combat as more enemies appear.

Humanoid and non-humanoid golems appeared from all around them. Not just golems but there are also humans gripping halberds appeared seemingly out of nowhere and, together with the golems, surrounded the pair.

"Golems and… homunculus huh?"

"Master, your order?"

Alex close his eyes. Then his grip on his weapon tightens as more prana flow through his body. The normally stoic expression he like to put up then turn into a small smile.

"Rider, let's destroy them."

* * *

 **And chapter 3 is done. I honestly want to deal with the Apocrypha arc quickly so I can get to the DxD crossover part and the early chapters are easy since there won't be too much difference until the death of Darnic and Vlad. Actually, I'll probably skip the unchanged parts like Siegfried and Karna's first battle when Karna ambushed Jeanne and Siegfried give his heart to Sieg.**

 **So perhaps as expected Alex and Rider went with Kairi and Saber. These four will stay together for the duration of the Grail War. Anyway, things finally get started with Rider and Alex engaging the golems and homunculus that Kairi and Mordred originally faced. Don't worry, he won't steal all of Kairi and Mordred's spotlight. I just changed this one to introduce the new pair in battle. Next chapter will have Alex and Rider showcase their ability.**

 **Anyway, here is Brunhilde's stats as a Rider under Alex.**

 **Rider**

True Name: Brunehilde

Master: Xenovius A Quarta

Strength: B+

Endurance: A

Agility: A

Mana: B

Luck: D

NP: A+

 **Skill**

Magic Resistance: B

Riding: A+

Divinity: E

Mana Burst: B

Primordial Rune: A

Hero's Bridesmaid: C

 **Not much difference in parameter other than Mana and Luck which is attributed to the different class and the Master's exceptional capability. Her parameter and skill is not very different from her Lancer version but what changes is her Noble Phantasm which to be honest, I only have one original NP which will be her main NP and the horse I shown. I have no name for her horse since it is a simple mount shared by all the Valkyries. I actually have one other NP prepared though I'm not sure if I should include it or not since it is only related to Brunhilde by technicality like Pegasus and Medusa.**

 **Now for the revs.**

 **Guest: Xenovius is the Archer while Xenovia is the Shirou. I won't say more about them… yet.**

 **Guest: Ahh, I'm too lazy to include Prelati since he probably won't survive into the Apocalyptic Beast War arc.**

 **Guest: There are barely any secret in this war compared to the other Grail War.**

 **Guest: I love Brunhilde and Prototype Fragments though I haven't finished reading it yet. And don't worry about the other Fragments Servants not appearing. As you probably have guessed, Fragments of Sky Silver is the Second Grail War here. Now, do you remember what happened by the end of that war? That should answer your question about the other Fragments Servants and possibly any question that might probably come up in the future about Brunhilde.**

 **The Rupture: Ohh he knows alright. And why he allows it to occur will be explained later.**

 **Pepebomb: I'm quite aware, I have the book. How they died is also quite different.**

 **Guest: Ozy is too overpowered like Gil. As for if Xenovius carry Durandal or not, let's see… is that sword he is using now actually Durandal or is it a Mystic Code? Well, we'll see. And obviously if he has Durandal it will be the Nasuverse Durandal.**

 **The-Great-Me-Sama: Sorry that I failed grammar class and had to repeat.**

 **FanNasuVerse93: Let's just see if Fou is around right now or not. And no, I did not confuse the two legends. I read Volsunga Saga and I know Nibelungenlied. It's just in essence they are both the same and killed the same dragon… wouldn't that cause a paradox if two people slay the same dragon? Is this parallel world? Is this Zelretch's doing?**


	4. Chapter 4

**Order 4: Ambush in Trifas**

-Chaldea-

Arthur Pendragon, once known as the King of Knights and the Once and Future King, is currently in the Director's office talking with the King of Magic. Solomon had summoned him not long ago to talk about something important. Unfortunately, even the word 'important' is still an understatement of what they have just talked about and Arthur is still shaken by what he heard.

"So… I guess it is time for Chaldea to fulfill its purpose."

The King of Magic nodded.

"This Great Grail War marks the beginning of the countdown. We have Atlas on our side but considering what I told you, what we have now is still not enough. Here, this is why I called you in the first place."

The Director took out a stack of documents from the drawer of his desk. He gave it to Arthur who skimmed through it quickly with each page making him widen his eyes ever so slightly.

"This is…"

"Your next mission, the one only you can do as the Once and Future King."

Arthur stare at the last page for a few second and with a resolved look place the stacks back onto Solomon's desk and nodded. As Solomon had said, it is something only he can do as the Once and Future King. In fact, there is no other option he could take. He must do this.

"It won't be easy."

"Hmph, it nothing ever is. Take Mashu and Gray with you. I heard that Gray's training will be finished soon. It's a good time to finish it and maybe see how far she had progressed."

"Sure. I'll inform them then."

Arthur stood up from his seat and with a respectful bow, left the King of Magic alone in his office with his own thought. He left his comfortable armchair and look outside the window when he felt a presence inside his office. He doesn't need to turn back to see who it is as a Servant materialized behind his desk.

"I believe you heard all that I said, Assassin."

The Servant, a man at least two meters tall clad in spiky dark armor with skull motif and a skull helmet covering his face nodded from behind his desk.

"Indeed. With such a threat you foresaw I can accept missing the Great Grail War. I had wondered why someone as illustrious as the King of Magic himself would fall so low as to steal a command seal but I am beginning to see things from your perspective. If it is you, no wonder you were able to summon a Grand Servant."

Solomon turn back to face the Servant he had summoned in secret. On the back of his hand concealed by an illusion spell is a set of red tattoo that anyone in the know can immediately identify as a Command Seal.

"I apologize for not letting you participate in the Great Grail War but priorities must be made, Old Man of the Mountain."

Assassin chuckled. His true identity is the first of the Hassan-i-Sabbah, the founder of the Hassassins, the original Old Man of the Mountain and is crowned as King Hassan. Despite being the first of the legendary assassins, he looks more like a knight, maybe a dark knight but still a knight nonetheless.

"Very well, this Hassan shall be your sword in the dark, King of Magic, as the King of Knight is your sword in the light."

"That is indeed reassuring."

Solomon smiled. Assassin disappear in motes of light, leaving Solomon truly alone now. The Director stare out the window and wonder what Xenovius is doing right now. Arthur's protégée is capable but this Grail War will be the ultimate test of his capability and his heart.

"But he is only one half of the puzzle piece. The other half though… hmm, what to do?"

* * *

They were surrounded by golems and homunculus. But neither of them are worried. Facing their enemies back to back, the Master and Servant pair wields their respective weapon. The Master wields a peerless longsword with golden crossguard and pommel. The Servant wields a large spear taller than herself with a large blade vaguely shaped to be reminiscent of a heart. The Master is grinning excitedly, a contrast to his usual stoic expression. The Servant though is still impassive as usual.

"As you command."

Crushing the tiles beneath her feet, Rider charged at the golems faster than a speeding bullet. The golems' stone and bronze bodies were shattered as though they were paper and wood. Another golem attempted to crush Rider with its immensely large body, but Rider simply thrust her large and heavy spear upward, blowing the stone puppet aside. Her movement is quick and graceful, wielding her enormous spear in such a way that it looks like a dance.

Rider then launched her spear at a golem coming from above, shattering it with her enormous weapon. She then dodge the attack of one oncoming golem and touch it lightly she dashed and touch another golem. What she did tough is not a simple touch but instead inscribing a runes on its body. The golems exploded as her spear return from the air, impaling another golem from above. She retrieved her spear and proceeds to demolish more golems.

"As expected of a Valkyrie I guess."

Alex chuckled. Against the homunculi, the Master prepared to show why he is Arthur's student. Even the emotionless homunculi, slowly edging their way towards him, paused reflexively at the sight of the Master and his weapon. By instinct or by sight, Alex knew that they recognize his weapon. It is a Noble Phantasm that came to his possession and one of the reasons why he is Arthur's apprentice. Even if he can't invoke its true name yet, he can use it well enough.

As a Magus, Alex is barely a second-rate who specialized in spiritual evocation. But that is not where his true value lies. As a specialist, he is very promising with the use of a Noble Phantams and his Origin, making him a very formidable opponent to magi of any kind once his training is complete. As it is, he carries himself more as a knight than a magus.

Normally, no one other than the original user can use a Noble Phantasm. Though there are special cases like with the Fraga family who holds the Noble Phantasm, Fragarach through their sorcery trait, Alex is different. Through the use of spiritual evocation and his Origin on himself using his blood as catalyst to realize his mystery, Alex was able to be acknowledged by this particular Noble Phantasm as its user, but just barely. Nevertheless, his current level is enough to fight enemies that are not Servants.

With a burst of speed hard to follow by the human eyes, Alex moved in close and cut down a homunculus easily with its weapon cut in two. Even if combat homunculus are physically strong and equipped with enchanted weapons, Alex was trained to contend with a Servant. His physical prowess is at its peak having been trained hard to the ground by the King of Knights and with physical reinforcement spell taught by Solomon himself, his physical capability is already near superhuman that he could contend with weaker Servants. His sword is also a Noble Phantasm known for its peerless edge that will never dull.

With the combination of his prowess and weapon, he started cutting down homunculus at a fast rate that it might as well be them fighting against a Servant. While the homunculi possess some combat ability, their speed and power as well as skill is nothing compared to the brutal powerhouse that is Arthur Pendragon. As a human who could fight Arthur Pendragon evenly for seven minutes with sword skill alone, it is like sending lambs to be slaughtered.

With speed and grace befitting of a noble knight, Alex cut through much of the homunculi without problem. Their weapons are no match for his and what little training they had cannot match the skill he painstakingly achieved after numerous bouts against monstrously powerful foes like Dead Apostles and the King of Knights. Cutting down the last of the homunculi forces, Alex joined up with Rider.

"It's over, Master."

"Well done."

Having destroyed the last golem, Rider returned. Kneeling beside the remains of one of the golems, Alex tore out a piece of parchment from a piece of a shattered golem. There were commands written all over it.

"This is old... over eight hundred years old."

Time was of exceedingly high value in thaumaturgical applications. A mystery strengthens the longer it has existed. For example, a family's thaumaturgical crest becomes strong by having new accomplishments added to it by every generation to have received it. With eight-hundred-years old parchment, one may forge a golem that can easily destroy one or two experienced magi. However...

"How were those golems, Rider?"

"Adequate. They are more powerful than I expected from magi of this time and can at least stall a Servant of lower caliber."

Alex nodded. He is of the same opinion. The only reason he managed to destroy one even when caught off guard is because of his weapon and training. With Rider being as powerful as she is, she won't find them even the least bit challenging but still something to even have her admit them as adequate.

This means that the creator of these golems is not a modern magus. Just as Alex was taking a closer look at the parchment in order to examine it in further detail, a great heat washed over his face. He immediately let go of the burning parchment. At the same time, more parchment all around them still attached to the remains of the golems all went up in flames with the remains themselves turning to dust.

"Precautions huh. They're not leaving any clues behind. We can't set up base here. They're prepared and most likely are watching us right now. Even the city had been fortified."

The Yggdmillennia had obviously considered the strategic importance of this place. Trifas is, after all, a small city. It would be best to think that the enemy already has some presence at every single location that could prove useful in the assault on the castle. And they did not simply send one or two defenders but a deluge of highly engineered homunculi and golems. If they stand around any longer, the Yggdmillennia may just send a Servant out to meet the attack.

"Let's head back and tell Kairi and Saber. At least we didn't come back empty-handed."

Rider nodded.

"One of their Servants, most likely Caster, is skilled with golems."

The duo then walked away from the town of Trifas, leaving behind no trace that they were once there. Both knew full well that they were being watched. It's best to pull back now before they reveal anything else to their enemy.

* * *

In the throne room of the fortress of Millennia, the Caster of Black used the flame of a Menorah to display the battle fought by the Chaldea Master and his Rider of Red. The images were being projected onto the wall and watched by the Masters and Servants of Yggdmillennia.

All the Masters apart from Darnic looked crushed by the performance shown by Rider. Her speed is incredible. She is so fast that she looks like nothing more than a blur as she destroyed the golems one by one in a manner that can only be described as a beautiful but deadly dance. The golems created by the Caster of Black are beyond comparison, possessing the power to fight evenly against low-ranking Servants. Yet they barely lasted one attack before being destroyed.

"I believe that she is Rider by how she was riding a steed before she joined her Master. Her skill and power is impressive."

Lancer said and Darnic nodded at his lord, unmoved.

"Strength rank B+, Endurance rank A, Agility rank A, Prana rank B... aside from Luck, all her parameters rank above C. She will be a formidable opponent."

Everyone nodded in agreement. They will need to think of a way to defeat this powerful Rider. They were so focused on the enemy Servant that they didn't notice Saber of Black's uneasy look as he stare at the woman everyone is talking about.

"We will have to decide who will face the Rider of Red. She is a formidable opponent"

"Based on how she made those golems explode, I can tell that she also utilized runes. She appeared to have quite an arsenal."

Everyone nodded in agreement. They will need to send someone just as powerful to face Rider as she will be quite a threat. Their most powerful fighters are Saber and Lancer followed by Archer. One of the knight classes will be the one to face her. Saber of Black silently hopes that he is not that person.

"Do you know who that Master is, Grandfather? He did manage to destroy one of the golems."

Fiore asked, finding an interest in the Master who casually slaughtered their homunculi forces.

"Hmm, it is difficult to say. We do not have much information about this Master since he is not part of the Association. He is a part of Chaldea and we have no spies there as their Director kept a very watchful eye. What we do have are second-hand information from the Association. He is Chaldea's equivalent of an Enforcer. His name is Xenovius Alexander Quarta. He is also trained personally by Arthur Pendragon."

Hearing this, everyone begin to murmur. The name Arthur Pendragon is already well-known throughout the world as the name of the King of Camelot. Everyone there, even the Servants, knew of him and his reputation as the King of Knights. The Servants have also been informed that he was the winner of the Second Grail War and now walks the earth once more. To hear that one of the Master is his student will elicit some reaction.

"The student of Arthur Pendragon. And that weapon he wields, it is a Noble Phantasm."

Now everyone is surprised. One of the enemy Master wields a Noble Phantasm and by his performance, he could use it adequately. There is no doubt that he is one of the more dangerous enemy Master in this Holy Grail War.

"Do not let your guard down when facing this man. In fact, do not let your guard down when facing any of the enemy Masters. The Association and their allies have no doubt sent the best they have for this war. Fortunately, we hold an advantage against them."

Everyone nodded in understanding. There is an advantage that the Masters of the Black faction have. Although they are Masters and possess the Command Spells, the prana pathways supplying the Servants bypass them and lead to another. The Servants use up none of the Masters' own prana. Of course, as a safeguard, they do provide the minimum amount of prana necessary—that is to say, the Masters are still the ones allowing the Servants to exist in this world. But aside from this core requirement being provided by the Masters, the prana that the Servants expend for battle will all be shouldered by something else.

In this way, they can easily close the gap in terms of raw power. The more excellent the magus, the more prana his or her craft will consume—if it comes down to it, they may end up laughably struggling against their Servants for their own supply. Anyone who believes that such a great war can be won with only ten days of preparation is greatly mistaken. The Yggdmillennia... no, Darnic has been putting everything in place since the moment the third Holy Grail War in Fuyuki ended.

"Battle approaches…"

The Lancer of Black murmured. Every Master and Servant in the room wordlessly agreed. In the depths of their hearts there is something inflaming each of them—and with this spark, they shall declare war. It will not be long before the two sides commit and open hostilities. There is one thing that every participant of both the Yggdmillennia and the Association can agree on—this great war will revolve around the fourteen Servants.

* * *

"So, what did you find?"

Kairi asked when Alex returned and sat beside him. Saber is seated across Kairi while Rider stood beside the stairway leading to the catacombs. They had just returned and ate dinner after the first fight of the Holy Grail War. It is arguably a fight though with how easily Rider and Alex decimate the enemy forces so the official war will not start until a Servant clashes against another Servant.

"We can't make our base in Trifas. It's guarded by golems and homunculi. The golems are the creation of a Servant, most likely a Caster."

"Hoo, so there's no way to attack them directly through the city."

Alex nodded. He also explained that there are detection fields all over the place and the town is possibly under constant watch if the feeling he and Rider got is not just simple paranoia.

"The only option we have is to wait for the remaining Servants of Red to attack and enter the battlefield with them."

"It can't be helped then. We'll have to match our timing."

With dinner done and both Kairi and Alex setting up their respective workshop just across each other's chamber, all that is left is to go to sleep. Kairi and Saber had fallen asleep while Alex himself entered his sleeping bag. He was about to fall asleep when he saw that Rider is not using the sleeping bag he provided.

"Rider?"

"Yes Master?"

The woman answered his call.

"You're not going to sleep?"

"No. I shall stand watch here and protect you."

Rider answered in the same monotonous voice she always seem to have. Alex frowned. When he first woke up after summoning her, Alex realized that Rider had not slept and stood watch over him that whole night. He appreciates her dedication but sometimes it is too much. Now she said she will again stand watch while he slept.

"The bounded field Kairi and I set up should be enough. You know that you can sleep."

"A Servant does not need to rest."

"I know but…"

"Is that all, Master?"

Alex would like to argue but he can't. Sleep is optional to a Servant and Rider insists. He probably won't be able to change her mind even if he continue to argue… can he? If Saber herself is sleeping, why can't Rider? She's just being too serious, or is she?

He decided not to think about it and went to sleep… or at least tried to. The floor is quite hard and he is not really used to sleeping outdoors in such manner so sleep did not come to him easily that night. He tried sleeping for around one hour, twisting and turning to find a comfortable position. Finally, he found one and was about to sleep when he decided to check on Rider.

Alex once again look at his Servant and this time, he felt something different when seeing her expression. No matter how many times he saw her, he will always admit that she's a breathtaking beauty. But for the first time, he saw that her beauty is marred by sorrow that somehow just gave more mystique to her appearance.

Alexander closed his eyes and that night, he dreamt of a Valkyrie being cast down by a God.

* * *

 **Phew, finally, this chapter is a chore to write… well, all chapters are a chore to write. I don't think there is much to say here apart from an insight to some of Rider and Xenovius' ability, though not much. The Holy Grail War had officially started and it is just the countdown before Servants will clash against Servants.**

 **By the way, how about that little bit with Solomon? Hehehe, sorry but there will be no Jackie in this story but gramps is around although he won't make more appearance until Solomon make his move. I'm preparing everything for the story after the Apocrypha arc.**

 **FanNasuVerse93: I will. The white horse will be part of her second and strongest NP so I will not name it but next time, she will use another horse which is the NP I thought about.**

 **Amatsumi: Did you forget that there is the Berserker of Red? Atalanta will be partnered with Berserker in battle.**

 **The Rupture: Skipping and flashback no jutsu sounds good.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Order 5: First Clash**

The sky is its usual shade of grey. According to weather reports, there will a slight shower during the night. Sisigou Kairi, Xenovius A Quarta, Rider and Saber walked the streets of Trifas. They were surveying the city to determine locations suited and unsuited for battle. But one place being suitable does not mean that it is usable.

Trifas being literally under the authority of the enemy, it would only be natural for there to be clan members hidden amongst the populace. It is also likely that traps have been prepared at ideal locations—much like the night before. And, as expected, they found numerous bounded fields—some with detection capabilities, others with various distractors—hidden around the places they checked.

"Damn it..."

"Things not going so well, Master?"

From atop a wall, Saber called out to Sisigou as he crawled on his hands and feet, looking for ways to destroy the bounded field. Her voice was devoid of any hint of sympathy. Sisigou sighed and promptly decided to abandon this location as well. It would be all pain for the smallest of gains simply to secure it.

Alex is also not having much luck. Like Sisigou, he finds it a pain to destroy the bounded fields all around Trifas since there are so many of them and will only be a waste of time and energy. The two pairs then regrouped and discuss other things.

"What's better for you, Saber? Level ground or back streets?"

"Hmm... level ground, I would say. I've said this before as well, but my true Noble Phantasm is an anti-army armament. The more open the space, the more room I have to give it my all. A plain field would be most advantageous."

"In that case, maybe it'd be better if we just took the fighting outside."

"I agree. Rider will also have more room to fight. Which means…"

The Fortress of Millennia encircles a portion of Trifas within its walls. Outside those walls are various constructions, the number of which have steadily increased over the past three hundred years or so. The castle is located at the easternmost tip of the north side of the city. Beyond that, there is a great forest and grasslands further to the east—though they are on the other end of a sheer cliff. It would be difficult to infiltrate the castle from that way.

"Wait for them, to come to us."

"I see. That would be far better for me as well, more so than fighting in this cramped little city."

"Yeah. Trifas is just a cluster of civilian houses that have been huddling together since the sixteenth century, though that's not much of a problem when you can just mow all of them down."

"What? Of course that's a problem."

"Well... when it comes down to it, everyone—whether they're friend or foe—wants to win, no matter what it takes."

Magi are those whom are unbound by human logic. As long as they protect that one fundamental rule of secrecy, they can sacrifice as many of the civilians as they want. Of course, one should have moderation in all things. A single death may cause little more than grief to those around them—but when one death becomes ten deaths, or a hundred deaths, public institutions will act. And if the situation becomes impossible for one person to conceal, the Association will act.

That is why the fighting takes place at night, and why bounded fields should be placed before combat to turn back normal people. But this is the Great Holy Grail War. Is there really a choice whether this city should be sacrificed to those heroes of myths and legends, called here to rampage about as they please? Besides, every stick and stone of Trifas belongs to the Yggdmillennia.

Alex frowns. He does not agree with that. Arthur had instilled in him a sense of morality and killing civilians who does not know anything is wrong. He would have to disagree with Kairi.

"I'm sorry but I can't do that and I would have to stop you if you decide to involve civilians."

Alex told Kairi.

"I also would not stand for that, sacrificing the common folk. Why is it that magi never seem able to understand such a simple logic?"

Saber spat out in obvious disgust. Alex nodded and smiled. Despite being the knight of treachery, Mordred is actually rather nice, just like Arthur said. Seeing that his ally and his own Servant disagreed with him, Kairi sighs and nodded.

"Fine, so we'll try to involve normal people as little as possible. Is that right?"

"That's right! And I won't attack them to replenish my prana, either."

"There may be instances where is can't be helped but I want to try as best as possible to not involve the normal people."

Seeing that both Saber and Alex won't budge on this, Kairi had to agree.

"I get it. Rider, what about you?"

Kairi addressed Rider who has been silent all this time, blending in with the shadows cast by the buildings.

"I have no complains."

She curtly replied. Since the vote is three against one, Sisigou had no choice but to agree. It is fine with him. Although as a magus he had incorporated strategies that would cost human lives as emergency measures, that didn't mean like it. This arrangement is fine with him.

"Yeah, I got it. We'll work based on that."

When they finally came to an agreement, the group heard a cry and beating wings. They turned their eyes to the sky. A single dove dropped a piece of paper at their feet and flew off. Only their mutual beneficiaries, Father Shirou and Assassin, would pass something along in this way.

"A message, huh..."

"What does it say"

Alex got closer to Kairi so he can read the message together. As soon as they read it, Sisigou frowns while Alex had a thoughtful look. Alex then passed the note to Rider who read it and then passed it again to Saber. Mordred grinned upon reading the message.

"Tonight they will be testing the Yggdmillennia's defenses. Our allies are requesting our assistance. It's a perfect time to test the capability of their Servants, Master."

Kairi sighs, having expected Saber's response somewhat. He then turn to Alex who is still thinking. Once he had made his decision, Alex told him.

"Let's go. We need to at least have an idea on what the enemies are capable of."

* * *

Deep in the forest east of Fortress Millennia, two figures are walking casually through the forest. One is a tall, muscular man with tanned skin riddled with battle wounds and has a blonde hair. His very well toned body and strong posture truly made him looks like a hero of old. He is bare-chested and wears black pants with golden belt.

The other is a female with cat-like ears complete with a tail clad in green. She is the true description of a child of nature, a beautiful wild beast, a huntress in the wild with a black bow in hand.

These two are Servants of the Red faction. The muscular man is Berserker and the green female is Archer. The two of them have been ordered to stage an attack on Yggdmillennia to scout their enemy's combat potential. They will be joined by Rider and Saber along the way. It will be soon until they arrived in the rendezvous point.

"Finally we can get some action. It's been boring waiting until the construction of Assassin's Noble Phantasm is finished."

"Berserker, we are not here to have fun, we are here to gather information on the enemy. Do not go overboard."

Archer warned the man who looked every bit the battle maniac that he is as he grins in anticipation for the upcoming battle. His true name is Beowulf, the legendary hero featured in the oldest epic poem in English literature named after him. The great hero had answered the summoning of the Grail for one reason only and that is to fight.

"Heh, fine. I'll simply consider this the appetizer before the real battle."

Archer sighs. The man is a real battle maniac comparable to some people that she knew in the past that it annoys her. But considering that she could at least hold a conversation with him, it is not all that bad considering how Berserkers usually are.

"By the way, Archer, there's one thing I want to ask..."

Berserker suddenly said in an unusually serious tone.

"Ask, then."

"Have you seen your Master's face?"

"I have not... I have only met the mediator for my Master... that priest."

As soon as she was summoned, Archer noticed that the man standing before her was not her own Master. After all, what was clearly a Servant was standing by his side and, more importantly, she felt no connection to him at all.

"I haven't, either. Then again, I suppose that's only to be expected for a bunch of magi..."

"Yet... it is still peculiar. But, considering what awaits all of us at the end, perhaps it cannot be helped..."

In this Great Holy Grail War, the biggest issue is not defeat, but victory—and what follows. Whichever camp survives, it is unlikely that all seven Servants will remain accounted for—but it is also highly unlikely for only one to remain. In the end, the Holy Grail will only grant the wishes of one Master and one Servant.

As soon as victory becomes clear, the division will begin. Who among the magi does not aim to reach the 'Swirl of the Origin' that sits outside this world, where all futures and all pasts are recorded? With such a possibility contained within the Holy Grail before them, even the closest of comrades would gladly slaughter one another.

Servants are certainly not exceptions; the only way to have their own wishes granted is to terminate the allies they stood shoulder to shoulder with. Therefore, any alliances will most likely last only until the winning side is decided.

"...Hence their refusal to appear before us."

"I don't think so. They should at least show up... I just can't help suspecting that priest and his Servant."

Berserker said. Archer can't help but agree in silence. After another half an hour of walking, Archer and Berserker finally arrived at the rendezvous point where Rider and Saber, and surprisingly, along with their Master are waiting. They had thought that Saber and Rider's Master won't be showing their face like their own Master but apparently they are wrong.

* * *

Three hours had passed. The sun had already set, the forest becoming enveloped by darkness. The Servants that had rendezvous continue their steady march towards Fortress Ygdmillennia. Berserker and Saber walk side by side with Rider following closely behind. Archer had taken to trees and followed them from above. Kairi and Alex did not follow them as it will be a battlefield of Servants.

Once they got closer, everyone stopped as they noticed some movement further ahead.

"Is it the enemy?"

"It is... but they are not Servants."

As Archer pointed out, what stood before them was the Yggdmillennia vanguard: combat homunculi and massive bronze golems that towered over them. There were over a hundred but despite the size and number of their enemy, the Red Servants did not feel worried. Berserker even deflated since they're not facing Servants.

"Well, someone has to take care of them."

"Then I will!"

Taking the initiative, Saber charged forward with her sword and slashed through the golems and homunculi with relative ease. Seeing the Servant of Sword already rushing to battle, Berserker joined in with two burning swords and the massacre began. The two remaining female Servants simply watched as their two allies wreak havoc among the enemy forces.

Both Saber and Berserker showed considerable skill with their weapons as they leave behind a trail that can only be described as carnage in their wake. Mordred and Beowulf mercilessly tore through the golems and homunculi with their brutal fighting style. It is not surprising that in the span of less than a few minutes, the enemy forces had been utterly annihilated and the Servants continue their march.

Another ten minutes of their march and suddenly Archer stopped right on the branch above Saber. She raised a hand, signaling them to stop. Archer's nose twitched in discomfort from smelling something.

"What is it?"

Saber asked.

"We are perceived. Servants of Black are approaching."

She told them. Archer's senses were far beyond any of them. If she were correct, they would be meeting the enemy very soon. It seems they finally caught the Black faction's attention after decimating their vanguard.

"Prepare yourself..."

""Got it.""

Berserker and Saber replied at the same time. The Servants summoned their respective weapons. Rider summoned her enormous heart-shaped spear and Saber materialized Clarent. Berserker drew his two burning swords and Archer called forth a jet-black bow.

"I will withdraw and gave aid from the rear."

Archer immediately retreated into the shadows of the forest, disappearing from view and unable to be pinpointed by anyone's senses. For a huntress of her caliber, becoming one with the forest was an effortless task. Now left with only the three of them, the Servants of Red wait for their Black faction counterpart to arrive.

"All right, then... time to go a few rounds."

Berserker eagerly stood in front.

"Hey hey, you're not the only one who's looking forward to a fight. Save one for me too."

"Heh, eager aren't ya? Don't worry, there are plenty of enemies for us to fight."

Two shadowy figures slowly advancing from the depths of the forest. They sensed that they were Servants. Apparently, their enemy thought that sending only two Servants would be enough to defeat them. Or maybe reinforcement are nearby.

The Servants appeared. One was the Berserker of Black, a girl wielding a giant battle mace, and the other was Saber of Black, a tall man with silver-gray hair wielding a greatsword that Rider of Red immediately recognized. Her eyes widened and so did Saber of Black's.

"So they only sent two to take on the three of us? I don't know if they are dumb or what."

Saber sneered.

"It doesn't matter. What matters is that they are our opponents and can give us a good fight."

"Heh, true. Then I'll pick that Sa-"

"I will fight Saber of Black."

Berserker and Saber heard a voice behind them said. They didn't even have any time to turn to face the source of that voice when a blue blur sped past them and struck Saber who defended with his sword and was pushed back by the sheer force of the attack by the figure clad in blue flame.

"Khh… Brynhildr."

"The wielder of Balmung, Siegfried. The man who is similar but different from Sigurd. Prepare yourself!"

* * *

 **And another chapter is done. That took a while. So this chapter is actually where Spartacus went crazy and went to attack by himself followed by Atalanta and Achilles. But in this version, I switched the Berserker to Beowulf and instead of Berserker going, well, berserk, this is a scouting mission with Mordred and Brunhilde joining them. And since those who knew Apocrypha would know what happen next, I want Brunhilde to meet Siegfried at least once. Now, here it is seen that Rider clearly knew that Saber is Siegfried but of course, contrary to what some of you may think, I KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SIGURD AND SIEGFRIED. Siegfried recognize her and she recognize Siegfried because they are both heroic spirits coming from the same land and of course, Siegfried knew he and Sigurd is quite similar so even if he is not Sigurd, there is a reason for him to fear Brunhilde because she's a freaking yandere!**

 **Next chapter will be the forest battle and some Norse moments. I had thought about including Kairi and Alex in this battle but considering it will be full Servant battle, they opted not to come because well, it will be dangerous, though they will be included in the next major battle.**

 **Amatsumi: Well the Berserker here is Beowulf for one thing.**

 **Superpiece: I know that perfectly, thank you.**

 **The Rupture: Gramps is interesting. I decided to use him since I need powerful Servants for future battles.**

 **FanNasuVerse93: I like doing unpredictable things. And with Arthur around, I just can't help but want to include Gray who will work with Mashu frequently. Alex won't be meeting Astolfo until the major battle.**

 **Warlord of Chaos: Using her will be hard but she is an interesting character that has lots of uses and will have a powerful impact in this story. I'm glad I choose her over Tomoe Gozen which was my other option for Alex's Servant. As for the DxD stuff, it will be revealed in the future.**

 **Piddle: His power is still incomplete after all. Can't expect him to master Durandal immediately.**

 **CrimsonScythe: I'm more looking forward to Alex and Xenovia's meeting. Durandal vs Durandal would be amusing.**

 **KnightOfZaku: I don't know about Alex killing in Apocrypha arc. He will if he has the chance but the Masters in Apocrypha never did get a chance to kill each other since it's mostly Servant battles. And Alex will meet Xenovia before she became a devil. They will be involved in the Kokabiel arc. And sorry, no hints on Brunhilde and Rossweisse.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Order 6: Battle in The Forest**

In reality, they have never met each other before. Despite living in the same time, in the same land, and sharing similarities in the legend they lived in, Brunhilde the Valkyrie is not the same woman as the one who married Siegfried's brother-in-law. And despite their similarities, Siegfried is not Sigurd, the man Brunhilde fell in love with and was betrayed by.

It is a strange experience. They are two people who came from the same time and the same land from a similar legend but are ultimately different people from the one they resemble. Such is the nature of the Holy Grail War to allow for this odd situation to occur.

Despite knowing very well that the man she is facing is not Sigurd, Brunhilde cannot help but want to fight him and kill him. And knowing who she is by instinct and resemblance, Siegfried cannot help but feel afraid. They have heard of each other in passing and now they met, two people who knew but at the same time don't know each other.

Brunhilde's strength pushed Saber of Black, Siegfried through several trees, leaving a trail of blue flame in her wake. The Valkyrie knew who will become her opponent in this war the moment she laid her eyes on Saber. She will not allow anyone else to fight this man, if only to satisfy her desire to kill someone who is similar to the person she love and hate the most. But at this point, she only thought of her hate for him which she tries to not take out on Siegfried, unless the dragon slayer deserves it.

"I have heard of you, Dragon Slayer. You are someone who is similar but different to Sigurd."

"And I have heard of you, Valkyrie."

The two of them clashed with Brunhilde on the offensive. She thrust her enormous spear at an impossible speed while moving extremely fast. If it were not for his exceptional strength and his own incredible battle prowess that allowed him to slay Fafnir, Siegfried would've been struck dead by the burning blue spear of the Valkyrie that demolished the trees along their path.

Brunhilde is pushing him back through speed and skill fitting for a Valkyrie, a Battle Maiden. Siegfried parried all her attacks that carry enough power to penetrate his Armor of Fafnir, his Noble Phantasm that came from the story of him bathing in the dragon's blood, granting him a skin as hard as a dragon's scale that won't be penetrated by any attack below B-rank.

With all her parameters apart from luck being either B or A, Brunhilde is a credible threat. Being who the both of them are, Brunhilde is an enemy Siegfried is most wary about in this war. But he will fight nonetheless, as a Servant of Black. Nothing else should matter. And fight he does.

His Master had given him permission to go all out. There is no need to make an effort in hiding his identity when the opponent knew who he is by appearance though that would go both ways. The two legendary Norse warrior trade blows with all their might as sword clashes with spear.

The two's expression remains stoic even as they caused more destruction to the area around them. They swung their massive weapon like they were in an open area and it might as well be one as not a single tree could even hinder the movement of their weapon no matter how they swing it. Siegfried's sword cut trees as if they were butter and nothing can stand in the path of Brunhilde's burning spear no matter how she twirls it.

Sparks flew as loud clanging sound echoed throughout the forest they are in. Even by the standard of a fight between Servants, this battle is devastating and neither of them used their Noble Phantasm.

When Brunhilde slam her heavy flaming spear at Siegfried, the Dragon Slayer blocked and the force of the attack made a large crack on the ground like a thousand ton of steel was suddenly dropped from a height. Siegfried grit his teeth and with a great cry he pushed Brunhilde back.

The Valkyrie did not waste any time and dashed explosively with her prana burst (flame) ability and swung her spear with both hands. Siegfried parries and took a step forward. He punched her in the stomach and sent the Valkyrie crashing into a tree.

The Norse legend appeared in front of the Valkyrie as she try to recover and slashed down his sword at her. Brunhilde rolled away as Siegfried's sword cut deep into the ground she was on just a moment ago. The Valkyrie got back up and continue her assault on the Dragon Slayer.

Quite a distance away where the two Norse legends left their companions, the Servants of Red watched as the two unusually aggressive fighters try to kill each other. Mordred even whistled from beneath her helmet. While she's not happy that Brunhilde took her opponent, she could see that there is a history between them as each of their strike is laced with emotion different from what is exchanged between opponents who had just met for the first time.

Even she won't get in between two warriors who had a history with each other. She certainly won't be happy if someone were to get in between her fight with her father. Besides, according to Archer, more Black faction Servants are coming. There will be no shortage in opponent and all she needs to do is wait.

Speaking of waiting…

"What, are ya having problem defeating that Berserker, ehh Archer?"

Mordred addressed Atalanta who is shooting at Berserker of Black. The enemy Berserker doesn't seem so impressive at all with her small figure and doesn't appear to have much skill other than swinging her mace around so Mordred decided to not engage Berserker and apparently so does Beowulf, not when a tastier opponent is getting closer.

"Do not look down on my skill, Saber. I am merely enjoying the hunt."

Saber scoffed at that but did not reply, not when their opponent had finally arrived. Both Mordred and Beowulf smirked as they jump out of the way of a stake protruding from the ground trying to impale them. Both Servants of Red ready their weapons as Lancer of Black arrive on the battlefield mounted on a horse.

"This is as far as you go, Servants of Red. Kazikli Bey!"

Vlad said as more stakes appear from the ground to impale the Servants of Red. Both Saber and Berserker of Red use all their strength to parry and evade the stakes. While one or three of even twenty stakes would pose no threat to them at their peak condition, the two of them now knew why they have been warned that Lancer of Black is considered one of the strongest Servant in this Grail War.

Hundreds and possibly thousands of stakes rose from the ground and even flew in the air, chasing after them wherever they go, not allowing them to get close to the Servants of Black. With little room to maneuver and having to look after their back due to the multi-directional nature of the Noble Phantasm's attack, the two of them are forced to stay on the defensive.

Mordred and Beowulf had to cut down the stakes attacking them while evading at the same time. While their raw power and speed allow them to evade and destroy the stakes, it wouldn't matter if they cannot get closer to Vlad. It simply wouldn't end.

"Tch, annoying stakes. Oi, someone do something about this!"

Mordred yelled in annoyance, cutting more flying stakes as she try to maneuver herself through the trees to get a shot on Vlad who had not moved from his spot, still mounted on his horse. The Impaler watched them like a hawk as he controls his stakes, taking on both Servants at the same time.

"Heh, got you!"

Beowulf appeared to be the first to be in a good position to attack Vlad as he went around him and to his back. As he dashed towards the Lancer of Black, golems suddenly appear from courtesy of Caster to block his path. The Scandinavian hero smirked as mere golems are not a match for him. He destroyed a trio of golems directly in front of him with a single swing of his sword.

But when the golems were destroyed, Berserker of Black suddenly appeared in front of him. She had rushed to Vlad's aid and with the golems blocking his vision along with his overconfidence, he did not notice Fran coming and is rewarded with an electrically charged mace hitting him square in the chest. Beowulf was sent flying to a tree and though the hit was not fatal, he would be feeling that one for a while.

With his attention now solely focused on Saber, Vlad send more of his stakes at Mordred who had to put even more effort into fending off Vlad's stakes. Electricity crackled all around the knight as she put in more power into her strikes and blast away more stakes while trying to get closer to Vlad.

Suddenly arrows came out of the forest aimed at Vlad at a speed impossible to follow by human eyes. But Vlad doesn't look concerned and didn't even put up stakes to defend himself as the trio of arrows fired by Atalanta was intercepted by even more arrows, surprising the Chaste Huntress.

"My arrow was shot down...?!"

Archer lost herself for a moment at this unbelievable event. If Lancer had dodged it, she would have accepted it; as a hunter, it was hardly rare for prey to suddenly sit down. If Lancer had counter-attacked, she would have understood; as a hunter, it was only natural that prey you aim to kill would respond in kind. However, it was not coincidence that her arrow was intercepted. It was not done by the prey in question. No, it came from a third party removed from the hunt entirely. It could only have been the Archer of Black.

"How is this possible...?!"

Atalanta had never felt so humiliated. How could her own shot be knocked aside by someone else's? But she didn't have time to seethe in anger as her attack gained her the attention of the enemy Lancer. Now stakes also came after Atalanta. Not only that, arrows also flew towards the huntress.

Atalanta evaded but more arrows were shot at her by the enemy Archer just as she moved. If it were not for her instinct comparable to a wild beast, she would've been hit. She instead repositioned her body so the arrows would miss and use her bow to block arrows she cannot evade.

Atalanta fell back further into the forest and reassess the situation. She saw that both Mordred and Beowulf are on the defensive as Vlad once again focus on Mordred while also aiding their Berserker against Beowulf. While Beowulf had not truly gone all out, he is focused on fighting Fran along with Caster's golems while also avoiding Vlad's stakes. Mordred is also kept busy with golems and Vlad's stakes along with several shots from Archer.

The Black faction Servants appear to work well with each other and Vlad is especially dangerous with his stakes able to keep several Servants in check in the forest battlefield. Granted they are not using their full power as this is only a mission to scout the enemy's combat prowess, but it is still quite impressive.

"I suppose this is enough."

Deciding that they have at least achieved their objective, Atalanta whistled loudly. The Red Servants who heard her whistle knew that it's time to retreat, though neither Mordred or Beowulf seems too happy with it but more chance for battle will come.

"Tch, we haven't even started! Ahh, I know! I'll retreat for now."

Mordred is quite unhappy but an additional order from her Master gave her no choice but to retreat. Blowing away the last of the annoying stakes and golems with a swing of her sword, Mordred use prana burst to quickly make her escape. Seeing that his allies are retreating one by one, Beowulf also began to pull back.

"Hmph, so we're retreating huh. I suppose it's enough for now. Berserker, Lancer, I'm putting this match on hold! The next time we meet, I shall face all of you with my full might. Farewell!"

Beowulf made his escape. With the three Servants of Red retreating, Lancer stopped his Kazikli Bey and Berserker joined him.

"They have escaped."

'Most likely they are simply scouting. They are gauging our fighting strength.'

Vlad heard Archer's voice through telepathic communication. He agreed with Archer's conclusion. Both sides are simply getting a good feel on each other's combat strength and neither side went all out.

"All of them are powerful warriors."

'Indeed. But at least now I have an idea on who one of them is.'

Vlad could hear Chiron chuckle in his mind.

'One of them, the Archer, is of Greek origin. And that instinct of a wild beast along with her personality of a hunter, I believe I can guess who she is. While I have never met her directly, I have heard of her.'

"Hoo, then I suppose tonight is a tactical victory."

Chiron and Fran agreed with him. Though at that moment, they are reminded that another battle is still ongoing when another explosion occurred from another side of the forest.

'They are still going at it.'

While the battle between their allies had ended, the battle between Brunhilde and Siegfried still rages on. The battlefield had turned into a scorched wasteland from Brunhilde's fire.

"As expected from the man of the same origin as Sigurd, you are powerful."

Brunhilde said as they again trade blows at high speed. Neither of them held anything back apart from their Noble Phantasm as the two engage in serious combat. The two were about to strike once more when Rider heard her Master's voice.

'Rider retreat, the battle had ended.'

Hearing her Master's command, Brunhilde stopped mid-swing and reposition her spear upright to block instead and use her prana burst to leap back and create some distance between her and Siegfried. The two did not say anything but saber still held his sword with both hands, ready to take her on should she attack once more.

"It appears that our match will have to end here. We shall meet again, Siegfried."

With those parting words, Brunhilde astralized and retreat. Feeling her presence disappeared from the area, Siegfried allowed himself to relax and breathe out in relief.

"So that is Brunhilde. It appears why bout will Lancer will have to wait until she is defeated."

Saber was about to return to the fortress when he heard himself being called by his Master. Apparently in the heat of battle a Homunculus had escaped with Rider's help and he had been ordered to stop them together with his Master. Having received his new order, Siegfried turn into spiritual form and went to meet with his Master

* * *

 **This is honestly a bit more difficult to write since the battle went very differently than in the original with Mordred and Brunhilde participating. I had to include Vlad immediately since if Fran were to battle alone, she will be defeated in a short time by the combined strength of Mordred, Beowulf, and Atalanta. I hope I didn't make Vlad seems overpowered though I believe with all his advantages like fame boost and marked territory he is quite capable to hold off three Servants alone. I mean, with all those advantages, he did match Karna who in my opinion is the single most powerful Servant in Apocrypha. On another note, I still call bullshit that Gawain managed to survive Vasavi Shakti without at least a major injury in CCC Fox Tail. I am still bothered by that. And n** **ow, with the absence of Achilles, Atalanta will be the one to face Chiron in the future. I wonder how well that will go.**

 **Silver566: Servants will survive to DxD arc since they will have a role in the future. But that doesn't mean they will survive the whole story. As for how they got into DxDverse, Kaleidoscope. As for Jeanne, she will appear in the next Order.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Order 7:**

When Brunhilde reappear beside him, Alex did not see any hint of disappointment or annoyance like he saw with Saber when the knight appeared moments earlier. Sisigou and Mordred had left earlier because they have nothing more to do with their mission completed and he told them to go on ahead while he waited for his own Servant.

"So did you have your fun?"

Alex asked. Brunhilde did not answer and merely nod to him. The Master sighs. She was more energetic and talkative when she faced Siegfried. He really wanted to get her to talk to him.

But at least he had gotten a good look on how powerful his Servant truly is. That battle against Siegfried was spectacular. Her raw power is incredible and her skill is mesmerizing. Arthur was not joking when he said that Brunhilde is powerful. Hell, she leveled a whole section of the forest in her battle with Siegfried and they're not even using their Noble Phantasm!

"Good job out there. Now, let's head back."

Alex told her. The two of them began their trek out the forest. It would've been faster to have Brunhilde summon her mount but it would be a waste of prana, especially since she had expended quite a lot in the last confrontation. While Alex still has a lot of prana to spare, it's still better to conserve when he can.

Both of them were about to leave when they turn their head westward. Silently nodding to each other, the two change their direction, suppressing their presence as best as they could.

* * *

Rider and a young homunculus are running. They crossed paths with a number of homunculi as they ran down the halls, but none of them challenged Rider or the escapee. Instead, the homunculi watched them leave with cold eyes imbued with some hints of emotions—pity, and faint hope.

The golems, however, did not treat them the same way. Roche's surveillance golems, improved under the guidance of Caster, dashed along the flagstones in careful pursuit. Naturally, they did not dare to impede Rider for various reasons, though mainly because a full blown Servant can take them down easily and it will be such a waste.

Caster also did not seem inclined to follow them himself; after all, this was not his part of his duties. Gasping for breath, the two finally managed to escape the castle. As they passed through the back gate at the eastern walls, they saw a swift-flowing river. On the other side was a precipitous mountain that looked to be a very arduous climb. However, that was where his freedom laid.

"Hm... make sure you don't let go of my hand, okay?"

The homunculus shook his head. The surrounding area was obviously riddled with traps and boundaries. They would be little trouble for a Servant like Rider, but that was not the case with the homunculus; it would take less than ten minutes for them to do away with this defective product, for whom any use of thaumaturgy would bring it to death's door However, Astolfo was filled with confidence as he chuckled.

"That's why I have this. Tadaaaaa!"

He took out a thick, leather-bound book. The words and shapes on its cover were subdued and rather unremarkable, but even the homunculus could tell that it was related to thaumaturgy.

"A long time ago, I was saved by the lady Logistilla. She gave me this then. Just possessing it lets me break through any sort of thaumaturgy!"

It would seem this was another one of his Noble Phantasms. The paladin Astolfo had gone on adventures whenever the mood struck him, with many exploits to his name, and even reached the moon in the end. Naturally, he possessed rare Noble Phantasms.

"There's just... one slight problem... I, hehe, don't remember what this Noble Phantasm is called..."

Rider grinned shyly as he quietly revealed the ridiculous truth.

"But it's all right! Mostly, I only need to hold the book for it to take effect. At the very least, no modern magus should be able to harm me... though it might be different for one not from the modern era, like Caster."

...Or perhaps something that is infinitely close to magic such as a Reality Marble. However, bounded fields of that type cannot be laid about like this. Besides, why would they use such a great thaumaturgy in the pursuit of a single homunculus?

"Umm... what was it again...? Universal Luna ... Magic Break ... G-Guide Manual ...was it? That sounds a bit like it, but..."

He should probably try to remember it before the fighting starts. It would be beyond ridiculous if he were to lose the war without ever remembering the name of one of his own Noble Phantasms. Rider gripped the homunculus' hand firmly and leapt forward. The water in the river tried to intercept them by wrapping around them, but was repulsed by the book with little fanfare.

"How do you feel? Can you walk?"

"A little"

The homunculus replied, refusing Rider's motion to carry him. The homunculus wanted to walk on his own two feet, at least until he could walk no longer.

"Hmph... Archer taught you that, didn't he?"

Rider muttered, sounding somewhat disgruntled. He seemed rather displeased. There was not a sound in the dark forest. He could barely hear anything, not even the cry of a bird, except for the rustle of swaying branches and grass. Was it some form of counter-measure against familiars? The forest was utterly covered with boundary fields.

"Ahh... this sure brings me back! Did you know I was once turned into a tree?"

Rider looked up and laughed as he talked about his past failures. Although many are the glorious tales of Astolfo, it is said that he has made just as many mistakes. However, Astolfo never faltered; he did not seem to consider failure or defeat as blunders in the first place.

"It's not bad being a tree, you know. Everything is calm and peaceful. Birds will sit on my arms without a care in the world. And the deer and wolves and such don't mind coming close to me."

How many in the world would be able to think like him? A normal person would feel only despair at such a fate. However—perhaps due to the light-hearted disposition he had been born with—Rider always lived positively.

Rider stopped. His grip on the homunculus' hand tightened, causing him some pain. Saber was blocking their path together with his Master, Gordes. They must have gone ahead to wait for them. Saber was expressionless as always, while Gordes glared at the two of them with clear displeasure. Rider sighed and said.

"Are you sure you're not keeping a secret or two from me? You're not a Servant or something, are you?"

I don't think so, the homunculus thought. However, that was difficult even for Rider to believe. After all, why else would they go so far for a single homunculus? Gordes did not hide his annoyance as he said.

"We cannot allow that homunculus to escape. Remove yourself, Rider."

However, it was obvious that Rider would not willingly accept that.

"Nope."

Rider rejected Gordes' words out of hand, so quickly that he did not even seem to have considered them. Gordes became even more vexed, gnashing his teeth to control his emotions.

"Saber, restrain Rider. You can do that much, can't you?"

As commanded, Saber stepped forward.

"Huh? What? Has your Master lost his mind?"

Silent as ever, Saber stepped up to Rider in a single stride and grabbed his arm and neck, pulling him away from the homunculus and forcing him to the earth. Having lost his support, the homunculus collapsed.

"Wha...?!"

The difference in power was too great between the two Servants. Rider kicked and thrashed with his legs even as Saber pressed down on him, keeping him grounded without much effort.

"W-Wait, stop! Let me go, Saber! Let me go!"

"How dare Darnic send me on such a menial task..."

The homunculus laid on the ground as he looked up at Gordes. His eyes did not express hatred or seek pity. Instead, those inorganic, reflective lenses peered directly into the human being called Gordes. Gordes clicked his tongue and grabbed one of the thin wrists of the homunculus.

"You have troubled me enough... Caster is going to grind you down and use you for a golem. You should thank him. He will turn this frail body into one made of stone."

* * *

"Did you hear that, Rider?"

Alex asked his Servant. They are standing on a tree a distance away from the Yggdmillennia group, watching, listening for anything important. Their work bears fruit as they heard this information about Caster.

Alex could clearly remember those golems that he fought in Trifas. Those golems are powerful by modern standard and without a doubt made by Caster. It appears Caster currently needed the homunculus to create one of his Golem and this Homunculus is rather special if a Servant of all things is sent to retrieve it. That means this one is one-of-a-kind homunculus that cannot be produced as easily, one with a special trait. Otherwise, why would the lost of this homunculus affect them if they can just produce another one?

"It appears that the enemy Caster need this homunculus to create his golems. Master, your orders?"

"Hmm, can you set up a bounded field with your primordial rune to keep the other Servants out? Though allow Rider of Black to pass through will you?

"…understood. But may I ask, why allow Rider of Black to pass?"

Brunhilde could see what her Master is thinking with his request but cannot fathom the second part of her order. If he plans to isolate the Black faction Servants to take them down, then why not isolate both of them? Why allow Rider of Black to pass through?

"I don't know why but Rider of Black seems to have a disagreement with the others and is apparently helping the homunculus escape. We'll have him escape. That way, we will deprive Caster of this important homunculus. Since he's doing us a favor, I'm inclined to let him go for tonight. Once you're done with the bounded field, attack Saber."

"I see. Then it shall be done."

Alex gave Brunhilde a simple 'thank you' as his Servant went to work. He waited for his Servant to do her job, his hand resting on the pommel of his sword, itching to use it.

* * *

There was only silence. The homunculus waded through the sludge of his exhausted mind and thought. His wrist was being restricted, so tightly so that it felt about to snap apart; the man before him had captured him. It must have been under the directive of Caster. He did not understand why they were so obstinate about him. Nevertheless, if it was his fate to be crushed, then he must make a choice if he wanted to escape this situation.

Although apparently the choice will be made for him as Saber suddenly moved and pushed his Master away. A blazing trail of blue flame appeared in the wake of a familiar presence.

"Servant Rider of Red! She's still here?!"

Gordes was surprised at the appearance of Brunhilde. Had Saber not moved quickly enough, he would've died from the Servant's attack.

"What's this, allies fighting against each other? Not a smart thing to do in the middle of a war."

Appearing right after his Servant is Alexander himself with his sword drawn. Astolfo gasped when he finally had a good look of the blade possessed by the blue haired Master. He recognized it. How could he not when that sword once belonged to his friend and fellow Paladin? The sword that was gifted to Charlemagne by an Angel and the King in turn gifted the blade to the strongest of his Paladins, Roland.

"Durandal!"

That is right, that is the name of the sword in Alexander's hand, the sword he now wields and point at Gordes. The Yggdmillennia Magus instinctively felt it. This man is dangerous. He is not someone he could or should face in direct combat.

"Stay your hands from that homunculus Quarta! Our battle tonight had ended. Don't get in the way of Yggdmillennia business!"

Gordes warned. The homunculus watched the two Masters staring at each other, their Servants ready to battle on their command. The air is tense and a single spark could ignite another battle between Siegfried and Brunhilde with their Masters joining in this time.

But this is a good opportunity for Astolfo. Neither Siegfried nor Gordes could afford to avert their eyes from Brunhilde and Alex. One mistake could be the death of them in the hands of one of the most dangerous pair in the Red Faction. Silently, Astolfo sneaked towards the homunculus just as Alex gave the order. The moment the blue flame ignited, Rider broke into a run and pick up the homunculus.

Gordes did not notice Rider leaving but Alex did. He activated his magic circuits and reinforced his whole body. Gordes, he recalled from the dossier, is an alchemist. Alchemists are not suited for direct combat and as he had been trained by Arthur Pendragon himself, Gordes stood no chance as in a burst of prana, Alex appeared in front of him with speed nearly comparable to that of a Servant and kicked him in the stomach. Then with the pommel of his sword, he struck Gordes in the head, knocking him unconscious.

Saber saw his Master being taken down so easily and attempted to help him but Brunhilde got in the way and push him further from Gordes. The Yggdmillennia Master is now in Alexander's mercy. All he had to do is swing his sword down and Gordes is finished and so will Saber.

'That went better than I expected.'

'Indeed. But we should finish this fast, Master. The prana consumption to activate the primordial runes is immense. While you have a considerable supply of prana, it is still wise to finish this quickly.'

Alex heard Brunhilde's voice in his mind and chuckled. There is a slight hint of worry in her voice. It's one of the rare moments he noticed a hint of emotion from his Servant.

'I undesrstand.'

Having finished his short conversation with his Servant, Alex turn to the prone form of Gordes. He shrugged and lifted his sword, Durandal. All he needs is a single swing and it will be over for Gordes. Just as the sword was about to claim Gordes' life, its trajectory changed in response to Alex's trained reflex when it sensed danger. Sword meets sword as Alex was pushed back by the strength of a Servant.

"You know, I was helping you run away with that homunculus so now I wonder why am I being attacked by you right now?"

Alex asked.

"Well I bet you didn't do that out of goodwill but still, thanks. But, now that I have fulfilled by obligation as a friend, it's time for me to fulfill my obligation as a Servant! Sorry!"

Alex sighed but held his sword ready for battle. He grinned as Astolfo stood protectively by Gordes' side with brandished sword. Normally, a Master would've thought twice to continue engagement when faced with a Servant while his own is away but Alex does not. One of the unique trait Alex has that makes him so different from other Masters is that he is trained for something a magus was never trained for. He was trained to fight enemies on a Servant's level.

"Retrace Start."

An aria came out from Alex's mouth and using a full body reinforcement, he lunged at Rider. The Servant was surprised that Alex actually try to fight him. Astolfo had expected, wanted Alex to retreat and he would've let him as thanks for helping him let the homunculus escape. But it appears it won't be as simple as that.

Holding Durandal in hand, Alex charge straight at Astolfo.

* * *

 **Sorry this took a long time and not as good as it should be. I practically copied the canon part while I write the divergent. Okay, while this is not part of my plan, I only realized halfway that with Brunhilde and Alex's intervention, homunculus would be able to escape. Now, while this decrease the chance of him becoming Sieg, that can still happen if I find a way in the next Order. There are several ways homunculus can still become Sieg. Either way, he will still be important. His destined meeting with Jeanne is absolute. No matter what happen, his meeting with Jeanne WILL happen.**

 **Anyway, next Order will have the conclusion of this short skirmish and homunculus' fate. Whether homunculus became Sieg with the original way or another way will be decided then.**

 **For Alex's aria 'Retrace Start' I will admit I just ripped it off EMIYA and change the wording. Though of course his power is not copying NP.**

 **Anyway, I am thinking about giving Sieg a harem. Or rather, a Jeanne harem. Imagine Laeticia, Jeanne, Jalter, and DxD Jeanne. Wouldn't it be glorious?**

 **Guest: Don't expect much of Atalanta in the Apocrypha arc. Expect the Atalanta that will appear later.**

 **Mr Tanaka: Well, Mordred will have her time to shine later. With Arthur around, Mordred will be kept around as an important character far into the future. And Gil vs Romania Vlad? Still Gil. That gus is simply unbelievable if he is serious.**

 **Holix25: I still think I can do more with Brunhilde but thanks for saying it's good enough. And yeah, total bullshit that Gawain can beat Karna when he used Vasavi Shakti.**

 **FanNasuVerse93: There is no use for Gordes to command Siegfried to use or stop using his NP. The opponent is Brunhilde and they both recognize each other. Gordes when he ordered Siegfried to use his NP and to halt his use of NP in canon was not in a right state of mind and is paranoid about enemies figuring out Siegfried's identity. Here, that is a moot point as both Saber and Rider recognize each other and Siegfried actually perform much better against Brunhilde than against Achilles. In fact, I got the distinct feeling that Siegfried did not properly fight Achilles with his full strength in canon. The legendary dragon slayer shouldn't be outclassed by Achilles so much.**


	8. NOTE

**Sorry but after reviewing the story as a whole, I made a few wrong decisions in some older chapters that I can't fix at this point without deleting the whole story. That and I decided that a rewrite would be good considering all the new info I got on Brynhildr and Sigurd as well as Ophelia. So with that said, I'm sorry but this story will undergo a rewrite.**


End file.
